


Darkness Rising

by EvilOtter



Series: The Early Life of Tom Riddle [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-12
Updated: 2017-09-26
Packaged: 2019-05-08 17:07:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 22
Words: 82,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14698617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EvilOtter/pseuds/EvilOtter
Summary: Tom Riddle has come to Hogwarts!  After leaving Wool's Orphanage and making his way to Diagon Alley, young Tom Riddle goes to Hogwarts to begin his training.Sequel to Dark Beginnings





	1. A Tale of two Alleys

**Author's Note:**

> This story was originally posted under the same title and the pen name Evil Otter on harrypotterfanfiction.com which closed down on 4-28-18.

Tom Riddle walked purposefully through the winding streets of London as he sought out his destination. He had risen early that morning and had left the halls of Wool’s Orphanage without eating more than a few bites of the breakfast before him. He couldn’t eat; he was too excited about the coming day and wanted nothing to do with the mundane existence that he had been living ever since he could remember.

As he walked his mind looked back at the day that the visitor had come to his room, the visitor that had provided him with incredible news and had answered many questions that had troubled the mind of the youth. He could hear the conversation clearly even now as he rounded a corner on the way to the place called The Leaky Cauldron.

“You’re a wizard,” Dumbledore had said to him before demonstrating the abilities that he possessed. Tom had been terrified as well as angered as the cupboard that held his belongings had burst into flames. Then as swiftly as they had appeared the flames had vanished, leaving the cupboard and his belongings untouched. It was then that the secrets that he had kept form Mrs. Cole and the other adults had been revealed.

The box containing the stolen items had made its presence known and Dumbledore had instructed him to return the items to their proper owners with a sincere apology. Tom had reluctantly agreed, although he knew that not all of the items could be returned because some of the orphans that they had belonged to no longer resided in the orphanage. He hoped that the efforts that he had made in returning the items satisfied the wizard who had said that he would know if his directions had been followed. In the end, only the toy truck had remained hidden in the cupboard and the items that he could not return had been given to the rather dismal supply of toys that the orphanage possessed. Tom had no idea about how to return the truck, much less explain its state of repair and had decided to leave the toy where it lay.

He was following the directions that Dumbledore had given him to get to his destination and, not for the first time, reached down to feel the bag that he had tucked into the pocket of his rather threadbare jacket. He had no interest in revealing what the bag held especially considering the fact that people often got robbed on the streets of the city. He knew from the directions that he had been given that he was only a street or two from the building when he heard the voice behind him.

“Where do ye think yer goin, lad?”

He turned to see three young men emerging from the shadows between two buildings and knew that they meant no good. They were dressed nearly as badly as he, but were far less clean. The one who had spoken to him sported a scraggly beard and hair that had obviously not been washed or combed in a very long time.

“I asked ye where ye were going, or are ye deaf.”

Tom quickened his pace in the hopes that the trio would lose interest in him and move on the pester someone else, but his hopes were dashed as the trio of men moved to surround him.

“Yer either deaf or just stupid, I asked ye a question and ye better answer if ye don’t want to get hurt.”

It was then that Tom noticed the knife that the man had drawn from his pocket and now held menacingly in his hand. The small boy looked around him as he hoped that a police officer would notice the scene but there were none in sight.

“Keeps reaching into his pocket, he does,” one of the other men said, “show us what’s in yer pocket and ye might get out of this with yer skin in one piece.”

“Ye heard him,” the first man said, “show us what’s in yer pocket before I start carving.”

Fear filled the mind of the boy for an instant, but only an instant, and then it was replaced with something else, anger. He was a wizard, Dumbledore had told him, and he knew how to deal with problems such as these men. He had done it many times at the orphanage and the only difference was that these were much larger people.

Nathan Crandell was getting angry as the small boy continued to ignore the order that he had been given, but he was also becoming concerned. The longer that the confrontation went on, the more likely it became that it would be noticed by a passing officer. That was the last thing that he needed, he had just been released from jail and the magistrate wouldn’t be as lenient as he had been if the young man appeared before him again. Moments later, he had something else to think about when Tom let his anger explode.

The young man who had stepped forward to grab Tom just managed to touch the boy when he was hurled across the street to land face down on the surface of it while the other accomplice found himself slamming back against the side of the building he stood next to. Nathan was stunned as he watched the blade of the knife that he held suddenly vanish and he was still looking at it blankly when Tom spoke.

_‘GO AWAY!’_

The young man wasn’t certain if the boy before him had spoken or not but he heard the message clearly in his mind. He took one look at the state of his chums, dropped the useless knife and then turned to scurry back down the alley that he had emerged from. Tom watched as the would-be thief vanished and then turned to the unconscious man who lay next to the building. He stepped towards him and looked at the sprawled figure.

_‘REMEMBER THAT NEXT TIME I WILL NOT BE GRACIOUS!’_

He ignored the man lying in the street; there was no way to approach him without gathering more attention. Already a crowd had formed and a police officer was approaching to deal with what was obviously a drunkard who had passed out in the street. The boy hurried away as he continued his passage to the Leaky Cauldron. He finished the trip swiftly and was soon looking up at the sign that announced the business, the sign that Dumbledore had said that the people around him could not read.

_‘Muggles? That’s what Dumbledore called the non-magical people who cannot do what I can. They cannot even read this sign so they must be ordinary.’_

The boy finished his musing and stepped forward to step through the door of the ancient structure. No one even paid attention to the child who had entered the abandoned structure, although they did wonder how he managed to get past the door that was solidly bolted shut and had been for many years.

Tom was amazed as she stepped into a bustling pub and felt instantly at ease when he realized that these people around him must be like him, special!

“Can I help ye, lad?”

He turned to see a man behind the counter smiling at him as he spoke to him.

“I need to get to Diagon Alley and the letter that Dumbledore gave me led me here.”

“Well, ye have come to the right place. I can help ye get to where yer going. Tom’s the name and what would yers be, lad?”

“Tom. My name is Tom Riddle.”

“I’m pleased to make yer acquaintance, Tom. Let’s get ye on your way, school starts soon and you’ll need to get the things that ye need.”

The man stepped out from behind his counter and was soon standing next to the boy as he looked down at him.

“Come with me and we’ll soon be where ye need to go.”

Silently the boy walked beside the man as he was led through the building, out through a back door and into a small courtyard that lay behind the structure. A solid brick wall stood before them and Tom suddenly wondered if he had been duped and was going to be robbed. Instantly he was frightened, a fright that wasn’t eased as Tom lifted a large stick from the floor of the courtyard.

“What are you doing?” he asked as fear and anger grew in him.

“Why this, of course!”

Tom watched as the man tapped the wall several times with the stick and was amazed as the wall began to move aside to form an arch and reveal what lay behind it. A bustling shop-lined narrow avenue filled with people in strange clothing appeared before him and instantly the boy knew that everything was going to be fine.

“There ye go, Tom, this is Diagon Alley. You’ll find everything that ye need for school here. Will ye be needing any help finding things?”

“No! I can do it myself!”

“Very well, lad, enjoy yerself and I’ll probably be seeing ye later.”

Tom stepped out through the gateway and wasn’t surprised when it closed behind him. He stood looking around in bewilderment and, for a moment, wished that he hadn’t turned down the offered assistance. Then he reached into his pocket to draw out the list that Dumbledore had given him and, after spotting what looked to be the right shop, hurried in to the structure to buy his school robes.

He stepped into a shop that was like nothing that he had ever seen before. Everywhere that he looked robes hung from hooks and, at times, flew away from those hooks without anyone touching them. A moment later an elderly man, who appeared older than anyone that Tom had ever seen before, approached him and looked down at the boy with a smile on his face.

“Can I help you, young man?”

Tom’s tongue seemed glued to the inside of his mouth and, at first, he was unable to speak to the very old looking person before him. The smile on the face of the clerk was replaced momentarily with a consternation fuel frown, but soon returned when Tom found his voice finally.

“I need to buy robes for the start of the term.”

“Well, certainly you’re here to buy robes; I didn’t assume that you were here to buy a cauldron. Which school will you attend?”

“I will be going to Hogwarts, sir.”

A quick nod was the only response and then Tom was startled when a tape measure flew from the hand of the man and swiftly coiled itself around him like a serpent. The item took measurement after measurement until finally it returned to the hand that it had left and a robe detached itself from a hook on the wall. The clerk reached out and caught it without effort before handing it to the boy. Tom looked at it strangely before he was handed the remainder of the clothing that he would need for school. He was directed to a changing room where he was soon dressed in the clothing that, amazingly, fit him like it had been made with him in mind.

He looked into the mirror that lined one wall at a person that he had never seen before. To see himself in brand new clothing, clothing that no one else had ever worn before, was alien to the boy and a shock to his mind. Reluctantly he changed back into the clothes that he had worn into the shop and carried the new clothes, which had refolded themselves, out to hand them to the clerk.

As he followed the clerk to the counter he was asked a question that he had no idea how to answer.

“Do you know which House you want to be sorted into at Hogwarts?”

“Sir?”

“There are four Houses at Hogwarts, young man, and you shall be sorted into one of them.”

“What does that mean?”

“You really have no idea about where you are going do you?”

“No, sir.”

“Well, no worries, they shall set you right once you get there.”

Tom watched as the robes were placed on the counter and suddenly brown paper unrolled itself from the dispenser to wrap itself around the clothing. Just as strangely tape appeared to fasten the bundle together before the man looked down at Tom again.

“That will be four Galleons, young man.”

Tom pulled the bag that Dumbledore had given him out of his pocket and, under the guidance of the clerk, placed four of the large gold coins onto the counter. The clerk nodded his acceptance before handing the bundle to the boy.

"I see that you have a list of needed supplies, do you need any help finding the next store?”

Reluctantly, Tom nodded his agreement and was soon being led to the door to be directed to his next destination.

Not long after that Tom was struggling to determine just how to maintain the balance of the increasing number of bundles. A swift glance at another student who was gathering supplies gave him the answer and his bundles were soon placed carefully in his cauldron. He sat it down only briefly to look at the list to see that he had only his wand left to obtain and he knew that he had seen a shop with wands displayed in the windows that faced the street. He hurried towards that shop and was nearing it when he stopped short to gaze curiously down a side alley.

The alley that he was looking down seemed to gather none of the sunlight that Diagon Alley did, in fact, it was gloomy enough to be frightening. All manner of strange and unsavory people were wandering back and forth in the shadows and this made the boy wonder just what he was looking at. A sign on the side of a building announcing Knockturn Alley gave him the answer to the mystery.

Something within him told him that this was not a good place and he knew that he needed to proceed to the shop to buy his wand so he put the strange place out of his mind and hurried to the shop with the wands in the windows. He glanced up at the sign above the door that proclaimed the place to be Ollivander’s before opening the door and stepping into the building where the lone clerk was busy tending to a young girl who was waiting for the box containing her wand to be wrapped and handed to her.

This gave Tom a chance to look around the inside of the shop and he was astounded to see more small boxes, which he assumed contained wands, than he had ever seen before. There had to be thousands and he wondered how the clerk reached the ones at the very top for the boxes were stacked in cubicles that reached the very ceiling, well out of reach of a person. A layer of dust covered many of the boxes and this made him wonder just how many years they had spent in the building sitting on those shelves.

Finally, the girl and her mother left the shop and Tom stepped forward to stand before the counter. He looked up at the elderly wizard behind the counter and their eyes met as the boy wondered how to proceed.

Garrick Ollivander had seen a great many young people stand before him over the years but there was something about this boy that gave him pause. The boy seemed to be looking through him instead of at him and it was unnerving to say the least. Neither of them spoke for what seemed like an eternity and finally he managed to break the silence by speaking first.

“Here for your first wand, I would imagine. You have the very same look about you that so many children do.”

“What look would that be?”

“Uncertainty about what you are facing!”

“Well, maybe a little.”

Ollivander noticed that the child didn’t return the smile that he was given and decided that now was the time to begin the process of finding a suitable wand for the boy. He stepped around the counter as he drew out his measure and then allowed the device to measure all of the important distances although the boy looked a bit startled about some of them. Finally the measure coiled itself and then returned to the hand of the wand maker before being tucked back into the pocket in which it normally resided.

The old man hurried away from the boy to a shelf that held a great many small boxes and was soon pulling one of them from the dust covered stack. Tom watched curiously as the man turned back to him and was by his side.

He opened the box that he had retrieved and, after unfolding the paper that was visible, lifted a wand from where it lay. Tom reached forward as the wand was offered to him and, just as he accepted it, he dropped it to the floor as an uncomfortable heat filled his hand. The old man took note of this and bent to pick the wand back up.

“What happened?” Tom asked as he shook his hand. “That hurt!”

“Wand making is not an exact science; it is also composed of feel. The wand decides who it belongs to and this one has decided that it does not want to belong to you. But, no fear, I have many others to choose from, one of them will accept you and you shall know instantly when it does.”

Tom stood silently while the old man brought wand after wand to him and always the reaction was the same from the wand, it did not accept Tom as its master. The boy was becoming angry about the state of things when the old man stopped and turned towards a shelf that he had not yet visited. He pulled two boxes from the shelf and then pushed one back onto the stack. The other he carried back to Tom before opening it.

“Try this one, young man, thirteen and a half inches, yew, phoenix feather core, yes, try this one.”

Tom accepted the wand with reluctance as his hand was beginning to ache from all of the rejections he had received. Instantly he knew that this was his wand as a warm, almost comfortable sensation ran up his arm. The old man nodded as boy and wand accepted each other, then he smiled down at the boy.

“It has accepted you as its master. That is a very powerful wand and will serve you well,” he said as he took the wand from the boy and placed it back into its box. Tom watched as the box was wrapped with paper and then sealed shut with tape. Then he looked at the old man with a question.

“You started to bring two boxes, but put one back, why?”

“The wand in the other box is the twin to this one. The phoenix only allowed two feathers one of which is the core of this wand. The other feather lies within that wand, which shall continue its wait for the one who will wield it. Somehow that wand told me that you were not the one that was meant for it.”

Tom nodded silently as he pulled the required coins out of the bag to hand to the old man. Then he turned and stepped out of the shop never seeing the strange look that Garrick Ollivander was giving him.

_‘That boy shall be known to many, I only hope that it is not for the wrong reason.’_

Tom looked down the still bustling street and found his attention drawn to the mysterious dark alley that he had passed on the way to the wand shop. Even though the multitude of people that passed the entrance to the alley seemed to, by and large, ignore it Tom found himself intrigued by it. He walked down the street until he found himself staring down into the gloom.

“You do not want to go down in there,” a voice said from behind him.

He turned to see an old witch looking down at him with a concerned look upon her face.

“What did you say?” he asked.

“I said that you do not want to go down into that place. It is filled with those who are up to no good and is not the type of place that a young person such as you should be frequenting. It would bring notice from the Ministry and that is something that you do not wish to happen.”

Tom nodded and watched as the old woman hurried on her way before looking around and, once he knew that he was not being observed, hurried down the dark alley to explore what it held.

The darkness that nearly enveloped him was almost palpable and he was soon standing in front of a shop that bore the name Borgin and Burkes. He stopped short at the sight of the many odd and, in some cases, frightening objects that filled the windows and were visible within the store himself. Tom was about to enter the building when a large person stepped into his path and he had no choice but to stop and look up into the face that towered above him.

“What brings ye to the alley? Did ye get lost? Forget to hold yer Mum’s hand, did ye?”

Tom looked into the grime covered face of an ancient hag as she grinned at him with teeth that had long forgotten what it was to be clean. Her crooked nose and piercing eyes made her all the more frightening as she reached forward to grip his hand with her own claw-like appendage.

“Why don’t ye let me help ye find yer way?”

Tom was already frightened by what was happening and the fact that the witch was now joined by others who were just as filthy scared him even more. A crowd was gathering around him and he feared that he would never see the sunlight again.”

_‘LEAVE ME BE AND GO NOW!’_

The gathered crowd reacted immediately as though struck by an invisible force. They hurried to leave Tom’s proximity and watched quietly as, after he had gathered his wits and belongings, the boy hurried out of the dark alley and back into the welcome safety of the masses. He stepped out onto the street and was startled to hear a familiar voice in his ear.

“Tom, you need to steer clear of that place. Knockturn Alley can be dangerous and you certainly cannot hope to defend yourself there.”

The boy turned to see the crowd that was continuing to shop for what they needed, but no sign of Dumbledore. He knew that it had been the voice of the man that he had met in the orphanage, but could see nothing of him. He took a nervous glance back down into the darkness of the place that he had fled before walking on to look into the many shops on Diagon Alley.

It was many hours later that he slipped out of the Leaky Cauldron after enjoying a meal of the hearty stew that could be bought there. The food and drink was incredible and the barkeeper had offered to provide a place to keep his bundles until he needed to go to King’s Cross to get onto the train that would take him to Hogwarts. He walked back to the orphanage almost cheerfully and it was a different Tom Riddle that climbed the stairs to his dingy room where he knew he would spend only a few more nights.

As he slept he dreamed about the day that he had spent nearly without care and wondered what it meant to be “sorted”. Well, no matter, soon he would be away from this place and headed into an adventure that he had never considered.

He had no idea how large and far reaching that adventure would be.


	2. A Changing Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom makes his way to King's Cross and the Hogwarts Express, but finds something unexpected on his journey.

Not for the first time that morning Tom looked down at the ticket that he held in his hand. It directed him to be on the platform ready to board the train by 10:30 for the departure was at precisely 11:00 and not a moment later. He hurried to push the trolley that held his belongings through the bustling station and was soon standing on the broad expanse of the platform.

He hastened his travel and was soon standing on the platform as he looked up with confusion at the signs which announced the number of the platform. Then he looked down at the ticket that he held to confirm what it said and there was no mistake. He could see the placards for Platforms Nine and Ten, but nowhere did he see a placard for Platform Nine and Three Quarters.

Anger washed over him as he wondered if Dumbledore weren’t playing him for a fool and wanting to see him embarrassed by having to go back to Wool’s Orphanage. He was about to start raging when he heard a familiar voice in his head, or maybe it wasn’t, but he certainly heard it nonetheless. He turned to see a very familiar man standing behind him and smiling that very same smile he had seen in the orphanage.

Somehow, none of the many travelers who were scurrying back and forth on the platform noticed Professor Dumbledore not even when one of them walked right through him without even noticing that he had encountered an obstruction. Tom shook his head as he watched this and was startled when he heard a voice that was in his head, or maybe it wasn’t, but he heard it nonetheless.

_‘Tom, you need to walk directly at the wall that separates Platforms Nine and Ten. You will pass completely through it without harm so you need not fear. Time is of the essence, Tom, the train to Hogwarts leaves precisely at Eleven o’clock.’_

Fighting up courage, Tom pointed the front of the trolley at the imposing brick arch and then, praying that it would work, pushed the luggage carrier at the wall before him. He gritted his teeth as he waited and braced for a collision, but none occurred and he found himself traveling through a darkness that he had never expected. Moments later the darkness vanished and he found himself standing on a platform very much like the one that he had left with the exception that this train was a brilliant scarlet instead of the dark green that he had seen on the other platform. A glance up at the placard proved that he was at his destination as he read Platform Nine and Three Quarters.

He pushed the trolley closer to the edge of the platform in imitation of another boy and was stunned when the objects on the other child’s trolley simply vanished. Obviously this was nothing to be concerned about for the boy simply walked away without any sign of panic. Tom watched as he stepped through an open door on the side of a passenger car and turned back just as his parcels vanished.

Tom felt a slight pang of anxiety, but shook it off and walked towards the very same car that the other boy had boarded. Before he boarded he took note of the name of the train that was printed in bold letters on a placard that graced the side of the locomotive.

The large letters printed in gold read Hogwarts Express!

The eleven year old boy, who had never seen anything even close to what he was seeing, allowed himself a moment of wonder before walking down a corridor and slipping into a compartment to sit down on a comfortable seat near a window. He had never been on or even near a train and he had no desire to miss anything. Tom was glad that he had purchased brand new clothing that somewhat fit into what the “Muggles” were wearing. He had received none of the strange glances that many of the children whose trolleys had borne cages filled with owls, rats or toads had been given. He had even seen what he thought was a weasel in one of the cages, but had been too shy to ask.

As he looked around the comfortable compartment he was relieved to see his parcels sitting on a rack above the seat and wondered how they had gotten there.

_‘How did they get here? I know that I did not bring them so this must be magic!’_

His thoughts were interrupted by several children who entered the compartment and began to take the remaining seats. Their excited chatter told him that perhaps they knew what to expect and where they were going. He was more than a little concerned because he had never heard of Hogwarts before his visit with Professor Dumbledore and had no idea about what was going to occur there.

A sudden jolt by the train brought him out of his thoughts and he looked out through the window that he sat beside to see the gathered crowd on the platform waving at those who were on the train. He felt a bit of jealousy as he considered the fact that he had no one to wave to him! In all of the excitement he had forgotten that he was an orphan and that he had no parents to wave to. He was about to start crying in frustration when he spotted a familiar face that was looking directly at him. Tom smiled as Professor Albus Dumbledore waved at him and the young boy raised his hand to wave back at the wizard.

The train pulled swiftly away from the station and soon London was flying past as they traveled on towards the school that they would call home for the term. The rest of the children in the compartment talked excitedly and the boy felt left out until the other boy in the compartment looked at him and spoke.

“Hi, I’m William Stuart.”

Tom knew that he had to return the courtesy and reached forward to shake the offered hand as he spoke.

“Hi, I’m Tom Riddle.”

Tom began to relax as, one at a time; the girls in the compartment shook his hand and introduced themselves. Before long the group was talking happily together and Tom began to feel as though he could begin to drop the hard exterior that he had developed over the course of his life in Wool’s Orphanage. Just the same he wasn’t prepared for some of the questions that he was asked and didn’t know how to answer many of them.

“Tom, where are you from?” the girl who had introduced herself as Molly Porter asked. “I’m from Cambridge.”

“I live in London,” he responded swiftly without revealing any further information.

“Do you know what House you want to be sorted into? Me, I want to be sorted into Hufflepuff, I hear that it’s the best one of the four Houses. My Mum and Dad both were in Hufflepuff, that’s where they met.”

“I really don’t know much about being sorted,” he admitted.

“Well, I hear that they make you hold a hot poker and spin in a circle three times before releasing it. Where it lands tells you what House you are sorted into,” William said swiftly.

“That doesn’t sound very pleasant,” Tom responded.

“You have to be ready for pain if you want to be a wizard!”

“Don’t worry, Tom, what I have heard about sorting is nothing like that,” the girl named Lucy chimed in. “I’ve heard that they have four magic balls that you have to juggle until you drop one. The one that you drop first belongs to the House that you are sorted into.”

“You all keep saying that there are four Houses, what are they called?”

“The four Houses of Hogwarts are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin,” Molly recited. “No one wants to go to Slytherin because it’s the worst and its symbol is a snake,” the girl finished with a shudder.

“Tom, are you a pure-blood?”

“What’s that mean?”

“It means that both of your parents are magical folk, not Muggles,” Lucy answered.

“I never knew my parents; they died when I was a baby. There was a fire in our house and they both died. I grew up in the home of a rich doctor who took me in.”

“So, you don’t know anything about your parents?”

“No, everything was destroyed in the fire.”

The other children seemed to accept the lies that Tom responded with and he felt grateful that he didn’t have to explain further. It wasn’t long after that that they heard a strange noise coming up the companionway and they looked up to see a treat filled trolley stop at the door to the compartment they occupied.

“Anything from the trolley, dears?”

Tom watched as the other children hurried to pull coins out of their pockets and then hurry forward to claim sweets from the cart. Tom quickly followed suit and stunned all when he handed the witch a gold Galleon for his treats. Once she recovered from her shock, the witch that manned the trolley handed him back his change before moving on to the next compartment.

It was not long before the gentle rocking motion of the train began to lull the children to sleep and Tom soon found himself the only person awake in the compartment. Try as he might, the boy could not sleep and it put it to the excitement of going to a place that he had never imagined he could. No one back in Wool’s Orphanage would have believed that he was going to a school to learn how to perform magic and they would have called him a liar had he told them his destination.

Tom had seen magic performed once by a man on a street corner who would perform magic with cards. He had watched as the man would have someone pick a card from a deck of them, look at it and then place it back into the deck without showing it to the magician. The magician would shuffle the deck of cards and then pick up the top card on the deck to reveal that it was the card that the volunteer had picked. The boy had been astounded by what the man had done and had clapped politely along with everyone else that was standing around the magician. Tom wondered if he was going to learn magic such as that.

What struck him as odd, however, was that not long after the magician had folded up his table and loaded it into his wagon Tom had seen the man talking to the “volunteer” and handing the man some money. This seemed very queer to the boy and he wondered if the person who had helped had just received some of the money that the magician had charged to do a trick. The men had seemed very eager to avoid being seen together and also to dodge the ever present police that often patrolled the area of the markets.

Finally, curiosity got the better of him and he reached up to pull down the box that contained the wand that he had purchased in Ollivander’s. He carefully pulled open the brown paper wrapping before lifting the lid of the box and pulling aside the wrapping that concealed the wand. A quick intake of breath escaped him as he looked at the wand once again and he couldn’t resist lifting it out of its resting place to hold it once again.

The pleasant feeling of warmth flowed up his arm as he grasped the wand and held it up to examine it more closely. The beautifully waxed wood that composed the shaft of the wand seemed to glow with a power all its own and Tom wondered what the old man had meant by it having a core made of a Phoenix feather. What was a Phoenix? Tom had never heard of such a thing, although it was obviously a bird if it had feathers. As he looked at the wand the boy remembered the admonition by Dumbledore about experimenting with his wand before he understood what he was doing. He also remembered what the wizard had said about wrongdoing and the punishment that faced those who failed to adhere to the laws of the magical world.

He carefully replaced the wand in its box and then closed the lid, concealing it from his view. Almost instantly, the paper rewrapped itself around the box perfectly and the tape resealed it. Tom wasn’t surprised by this and stood to place the box back into his stack of parcels. He sat back down and leaned against the window to watch the few things that were visible in the darkness rush past the Hogwarts Express as it hurried through the night. Relaxed finally and secure in the knowledge that he was on his way to a new life, Tom closed his eyes and went to sleep.

He awoke to being shaken gently by William.

“Wake up, Tom, we’ll be at Hogsmeade soon and you want to get into your robes before then. Lucy and Molly are in the next compartment so we have a chance to get changed without them in here.”

Tom hurried to pull down the parcel that contained his robes while William pulled down the shades before starting to change into his own robes. Before long both boys were dressed in the robes that designated them as students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and were seated across from one another talking when the two girls walked back into the compartment.

It was at this point that Tom took a good look at Molly and felt something that he had never felt before. He found that the girl was rather pretty although quite different from him. Where Tom was dark haired and blue-eyed the girl had hair the color of wheat and dark brown eyes; she was lively and always laughing while he was still rather withdrawn and slow to find humor. Still, the girl presented something that he had never considered before and that was an attraction to the opposite gender.

William suddenly straightened in his seat and pointed out through the large window at something in the distance that was growing larger with every passing instant. Tom followed the other boy’s directions and was pleased to see a group of buildings that had appeared from behind some trees. The children became aware of the fact that the train was slowing and that meant that they would soon be stepping off of the train and onto the platform at Hogsmeade Station. Soon, the long platform began to flow by the train as it slowed to a mere crawl before finally stopping in front of a grand stone building that bore a sign stating that they had arrived in Hogsmeade.

Tom followed the lead of the other children as they rose once the train had come to a halt and soon had joined the line of robe-clad students as they hurried to disembark and then step onto the platform. Once he had had a chance to look around at the station, Tom felt a pang of disappointment, this was nowhere near as grand as King’s Cross and far smaller. He was looking around at his surroundings when he felt someone touch his arm. He turned to look into the brown eyes of Molly Porter as she tried to get his attention.

“Come on, Tom, they want all of the first years to go to the boats.”

The girl turned and started towards the shore of the lake, but not before reaching out to take Tom’s hand. The boy felt a warm comfort not unlike the one that he had felt when he had first touched his wand and did not attempt to pull his hand free of hers.

The pair walked down the path towards the lake and soon had caught up with the other first year students as they stood around a tall wizard while they prepared to board small boats. Tom looked across the lake and was stunned at the sight of a large castle that stood on a mountain overlooking the water. Its every window was ablaze with light and those lights, combined with the reflections of the stars and moon overhead made the lake sparkle with what seemed like a million candles.

“First years,” the wizard said quickly, “I am Professor Lands and I shall be your Defense against the Dark Arts instructor. We shall board these boats to travel across the lake before making the climb up to the castle. Please keep your hands within the boats as there are creatures in the water that would see them as delicious morsels.”

Tom stood next to the girl, who had refused to release his hand, while they waited for their turn to climb into a boat. He turned his head to glance at Molly and felt something growing within him that was alien to the boy who had never learned how to get close to anyone.

 _‘Is this love?’_ he wondered. _‘Does Molly truly like me or am I being taken for a fool? Will she talk to me or about me with her friends like Amy used to back in the orphanage?’_

Molly seemed to sense his uncertainty because she gripped his hand even tighter and moved closer to him. Tom’s heart was beating quickly in his chest and he felt a cold sweat bead on his flesh as the girl leaned over to him and spoke.

“I like you, Tom, I like you a lot! Will you sit with me in the boat? I do not want to be in a boat without you.”

The boy, unprepared for the words that the girl had spoken, nodded numbly and followed the lead that Molly assumed as they climbed into a boat and sat down next to each other. William, who had rather wanted to sit with Tom to continue their conversation, was mildly disappointed but held his tongue as Lucy Butler began to gain his attention.

The children in the small flotilla of boats watched as the castle and the mountain that it sat upon moved ever closer and soon realized that they were approaching a boathouse on the shore. One by one the boats, which had propelled themselves across the lake without the children having to use oars, arrived at the boathouse and allowed the children to climb out and onto the pier that surrounded it. Tom and Molly were soon among the children standing next to the boathouse and Tom suddenly felt very strange.

_‘This boathouse, I’ve seen it before and I was not alone. There was another man, tall and dark haired and he was dying while he lay against the windows. It was because of a snake, a very large snake that attacked him and I was standing there watching him die. We had been talking about a wand, arguing about whom it belonged to and he died.’_

Tom shook out of his thoughts as Molly began to walk away, his hand still tightly held by hers. As they walked up the long winding path he looked back at the boathouse and the name of the man came to him from somewhere.

The man’s name was Severus!

Many long minutes later they finally were walking through the front doors of the castle and Professor Lands stopped to speak to them.

“Very soon you shall enter the Great Hall of Hogwarts, it is here that you shall eat your meals and have a chance to meet other students. The first order of business, however, is to be sorted into your House. As you may have heard, there are four Houses in Hogwarts. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin and the students within the House that you are sorted into shall be rather like a very large family. You might want to think of the other members of your House as your brothers and sisters because, like a family you can receive reward or punishment depending on your actions. Let us go in now!”

The large doors before them opened and Tom was able to see a huge room, larger than any that he had ever seen before. Candles floated in the air above the four large tables that already were surrounded by other children who were also dressed in robes. Above the scene four large banners displayed the heraldry of the four Houses and he wondered which one he would sit under.

As they walked between the tables the students who were already seated watched as they passed and Tom wondered if the other children in his group were as nervous as he was. Ahead of them, Tom saw a long table where the professors were already seated and he was grateful when he saw Dumbledore among them. He was different somehow, and Tom finally realized that it was because he was wearing robes that were much nicer looking than the outlandish clothes that he had worn when he visited the orphanage.

They came to a stop at the head of the room and, for the first time, Tom noticed a rather ancient looking hat sitting on a stool. He glanced around and saw no sign of a red-hot poker that that they had to grasp or balls for them to juggle and he wondered just what was going to happen. Abruptly, the wizard who was seated in the chair at the center of the table rose and all talk within the chamber ceased.

“Greetings, first years, I wish to welcome you here to Hogwarts. I am Professor Armando Dippet and I serve as the Headmaster of this school. Please understand, and this goes for all students, that the Dark Forest that surrounds our school is not to be entered for any reason. The denizens of that forest are not always the friendliest and I would not want to have any of you meet with a horrible fate.”

The students watched as Professor Dippet returned to his seat and then turned their attention back to Professor Lands who was looking expectantly at the hat that sat on the stool before him. Tom was startled when the hat stirred, opened its mouth to yawn loudly and then began to sing.

_Now you stand before me, it’s time for me to muse_   
_Where do you belong, your thoughts are strong, which House for you to choose?_

_The Houses here they number four, and in time your House you will adore._   
_All through the term you will do your best to get the highest score!_

_I’ve talked about the Houses and now I’ll give their names._   
_The one we choose will help you lose or chart your path to fame._

_First we start with Gryffindor which above all honors truth._   
_If you go there, please do not swear, let your inner self show through._

_The second House is Hufflepuff, who do not fear their work._   
_They work from dawn to setting sun, toil they do not shirk._

_The trait that comes to Ravenclaw is eagerness to use your brain._   
_If in class you dawdle, poor marks will follow, and you have chosen the wrong way to train._

_Not to be outdone, Slytherin is the one if you choose to use your guile._   
_In every deal, prove you are real and give the other your smile._

_I really do not wish to bore you but these are things that I must say._   
_Do your best and pass your tests to swiftly make your name._

_This final thing that I must tell you will follow you for quite a while._   
_If you do wrong, you will not be here long and you’ll walk that dreaded mile._

Its song finished, the hat stopped long enough for the gathered students and staff to clap politely as it bowed its point. Then Professor Lands pulled a long parchment from his robes as he stepped forward and lifted the hat from its place on the stool. He cleared his throat and then spoke to the frightened children before him. Molly tightened the hold that she had on his hand as the professor began to give them their directions.

“When you hear your name please step forward and have a seat on the stool, the Sorting Hat will be placed upon your head and it shall announce to which House you shall go.”

He looked at the parchment again and called the first name, much to the dismay of the child who had hoped not to hear his name so soon.

“William Stuart!”

Tom watched as his friend left where he was standing and slowly stepped up to the stool before sitting down. Nearly instantly, the hat was on his head and, once more, it began to move and speak.

“There is only one place that you will fit, because I remember your father,” the hat said before shouting out William’s destination. “HUFFLEPUFF!”

Applause sounded and Tom watched as his friend hurried to the table that had been indicated for him by the hat. The ceremony would seem to drag on as student after student was called forward and sorted into their House. Tom watched as Lucy Butler stepped forward and was sent to Gryffindor, much to the obvious disappointment of William.

There were only a handful remaining as they waited to be sorted and Tom took comfort in the tight grasp that Molly maintained on his hand. Abruptly, however, that grasp loosened as the next name was called.

“Molly Porter!”

Tom reluctantly released the hand of the girl and watched as she ascended the stairs to sit down on the stool. The boy watched as the Sorting Hat was lowered onto the head of the girl and her eyes met his. The decision of the hat was not long in coming.

“You represent another memory from the past because I recall sorting both of your parents! HUFFLEPUFF!”

A broad smile crossed the face of the girl as she rose and hurried to the waiting table where she was greeted by her new Housemates. She looked up at Tom as he turned to watch her with longing. It was then that he heard the name that he had been waiting for.

“Tom Riddle!”

The boy walked slowly from where he had been standing with Molly, as though he was trying to hold onto the memory of their closeness as tightly as she had held onto his hand. A moment later he was sitting on the stool and the hat was being placed on his head.

“You present some conflict and confusion because there is much about you that represents two very different Houses. Each has its merits and you would do equally well in either. I have never in all of these years met such a difficult candidate to sort, but a decision has to be made and I think that I have the best fit for you. SLYTHERIN!”

Tom felt his heart sink into the pit of his stomach as he heard the announcement, but he rose and walked swiftly to the waiting table where he was greeted by the students who were already seated there. As he sat down he looked across the room at Molly and found that she was doing the same, she was looking at him!

The ceremony finally ended and the stool and hat were carried away by Professor Lands before the tables were suddenly filled with an enormous amount of food. Tom was astounded, he had never even dreamt about this much food, let alone actually seen it. As hungry as he was, and although he ate until he was full, Tom felt emptiness as he looked at Molly. She was seated with her back to him, not a conscious choice on her part, and was involved in conversation with her Housemates. From time to time, however, the girl turned to look at him and he wondered if she was thinking the same thing that he was.

_‘We are in different Houses, how are we ever going to get a chance to spend time together?’_

He sat quietly at the table as he ate, speaking only in answer to questions asked of him, while he continued to watch Molly from a distance. When the time came to leave the Great Hall the pair managed to touch each other’s hand as their lines passed each other only to separate when his line headed for the subterranean home of Slytherin and hers walked towards the home of Hufflepuff.

Once in his dorm room that night, Tom lay in a much more comfortable bed than he had ever experienced before. But this was little comfort for the boy as he lay staring up at the ceiling while the girl played in his mind. He could see her smile and hear her kind words, but most importantly he could feel the touch of her hand against his. He finally drifted off to sleep with visions of the blonde angel filling his dreams.

No one in the castle could have foretold what events had been set in motion, not even Tom, but these events would touch many. For some they would lead to power and riches while others would only experience pain and anguish.

Tom had no idea that he would experience them all.


	3. Plans in the Making

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom has his first day of classes and encounters resistance to his thoughts about Molly. He swiftly deals with the problem and raises suspicions in the process.

Tom stepped into his first class of the term to find many of the seats already taken, but none of those seats mattered to him. The one that he was interested in was still vacant and he hurried to get to it and a moment later was seated next to Molly Porter. The cute blonde smiled at him broadly as he sat down and the pair ignored the glares sent their way by other members of Slytherin as well as Hufflepuff.

“I wish that you had been sorted into Hufflepuff with me,” the girl said quickly.

“I was not even to the Slytherin table and I missed you already.”

“Do you want to sit next to me in all of our classes?”

“I would like that!”

The young pair talked quietly until they realized that the other chatter had ended as the professor entered the classroom. They looked up as Albus Dumbledore stepped to his place at the front of the room.

“Greetings and welcome to Transfiguration, first years! I am Professor Dumbledore and in this room I shall help you to understand and perform this most useful skill. Be warned, however, that this skill is not to be used on your classmates as we had an unfortunate incident last term that left the victim in a rather bad way until we were able to restore them to the correct state.”

“Now, each of you should have brought your book and quill, not to mention your wand. You shall not be using your wand for several days and therefore I must ask you to leave it safely in your robes. It is very important that you realize that this skill can be quite dangerous and that there are quite serious punishments for intentionally causing harm to another student. Now I will ask you to get out your quills so that we may begin.”

Tom and his classmates were soon busily copying the Principal Exceptions to Gamp’s Law of Elemental Transfiguration, a task which soon had the students shaking weary hands and flexing cramped fingers to work the feeling back into them. A stifled groan escaped one student when more writing began to appear on the chalkboard at the front of the room and Dumbledore continued to lead the discussion that they were copying.

“While there are the Principal Exceptions to Gamp’s Law you must understand the following,” the professor cautioned. “Transfiguration of a sentient being that is a being capable of conscious thought, rather than mere instinct, is a violation of magical law especially if it is done with the intent of harm. Be extremely cautious about what you transfigure your subject into for fear of harm, a few terms ago a dragon appeared in this classroom. This created quite a lot of panic not to mention scorched walls, parchments and hair. Lastly, pronunciation is important, mispronounce a word and the results can be unfortunate.”

“When we begin Transfiguration practice we shall start with simple items that cannot possibly be dangerous. This will involve turning beetles into buttons and then back to their original form. It is important to be able to return the subject to its proper state. Now, I see that we have only a minute before the end of class; you may put your quills away and prepare to go to your next class which will be Potions with Professor Slughorn. As I know that you have not yet had a chance to explore the castle I have provided a map of sorts to guide you to your destination. Simply watch the footsteps before you and you will find your way.”

As if in response to the words that Dumbledore had spoken, glowing green footprints appeared on the floor of the classroom. The professor smiled at his students and then spoke the final words of that first class.

“You are all dismissed.”

Molly and Tom rose as if they were glued together and joined the surge of students as they hurried out of the room and into the spacious courtyard to follow the glowing footprints on the floor. Several seventh years glanced down and smiled as they saw the guided path while remembering their own first year.

“Dumbledore wants to make certain that they do not get lost.”

“Yeah, remember our first day? You ended up down by the Quidditch Pitch headed for the Dark Forest.”

The students laughed as they continued on to class wishing that their Transfigurations were as simple as those that the first years faced.

The steps to the Potions classroom seemed to be innumerable, but finally the first years were sitting down in the classroom presided over by Horace Slughorn. The portly professor gazed out over the many new faces and settled, from time to time, on particular students. When he arrived at Tom he paused for a long moment before giving Molly the briefest of glances and then moving on. The students already knew what was coming and hurried to pull out their quills and parchment, an act that made Professor Slughorn smile broadly.

As the next hour passed, Professor Slughorn presented the students with their first reading assignment and Tom had to chance to glance around the classroom. His eyes fell immediately upon a series of photos of young people, most of whom appeared only a few years older than he. All of the students were smiling broadly in the pictures and the boy wondered if they had been students of Professor Slughorn. He was still looking at the pictures when he felt himself being poked insistently; he turned to see Molly trying frantically to get his attention as she whispered her message.

_“Tom, Professor Slughorn asked you a question.”_

Tom looked up to see the eyes of the professor glaring at him and he knew that already he had done wrong.

“Mister Riddle, I shall see you after class! See that you do not leave before I speak to you.”

“Yes, Professor Slughorn.”

Minutes later the class was dismissed and Molly rose to leave the room with the remainder of the students. The girl paused at the door to look over her shoulder at Tom before another girl grabbed her and hurried her out of the room. Tom remained seated and watched as the professor approached his desk. A group of students opened the door to enter and then closed it as they caught the irritated glance that they were given by Professor Slughorn.

“Mister Riddle, I do not have many rules in my classroom, but one that is unescapable is that you must pay attention at all times. I understand that this is all new to you and that you were quite interested in everything within the room but you must stay with me. Have I made myself clear, Mister Riddle?”

The boy nodded furiously and was rewarded with a broad smile from the adult.

“Very well, no harm done then. I shall have one of the third years waiting outside lead you to your next class.”

Tom rose from his seat as the professor allowed the older students to enter and soon was walking alongside an older boy as he walked towards Defense against the Dark Arts class. It was not long before they had completed the trip to the classroom where the third year boy turned on his heal and left the first year in front of the closed door. Tom quietly opened the door and then stepped into the room to find himself the center of attention as Professor Lands looked up at the person who had entered his classroom late.

“Mister Riddle, it is only because I was informed that Professor Slughorn had kept you after class that I am not taking points from Slytherin House. Do not enter my classroom late again or you shall pay the penalty. Take your seat!”

As he looked around the room he realized that sitting next to Molly was something that was not going to happen. A girl from Hufflepuff occupied the seat next to the girl that had his interest. He walked silently to a seat at the front of the room where he was seated and soon opening his book to the page that had been written on the chalkboard. He began copying the assignment while the professor walked around the room and examined the work of his students. The class would pass slowly, but finally he was able to leave the seat that he occupied to join Molly as she left the room.

“Was Professor Slughorn mad at you?”

“No, he just told me to pay attention or he would take points from Slytherin.”

As they walked towards the Great Hall for the mid-day meal the young couple talked quietly, ignoring the looks that they were getting from the older members of their Houses. At the door to the great chamber they reluctantly released hands before walking to their own tables and sitting down.

Tom had settled down at his place when a shadow fell over him and he looked up to see an older boy from his House glaring down at him.

“You want to stay away from _that_ girl! Try one of _our_ girls, if you know what is good for you!”

Tom looked up at the larger boy and could read the displeasure in his expression as well as hear it in his voice. He was suddenly angry as he realized that his Housemates disapproved of what he felt for Molly. Tom treasured the affection that the girl felt for him and wasn’t ready to let it go easily or without a struggle. He glanced up at the boy, who was continuing his tirade, and a single thought came to his mind.

_‘SHUT UP!’_

Abruptly, Bernard Mason could not speak. His mouth could move but no sound issued from it and the terrified boy put his hands up to his throat as fright filled his mind. A crowd began to gather around him as other students realized that something was amiss. This brought Professor Dippet to the scene and the Headmaster was soon standing near Tom while he tried to determine the cause of the problem. Tom looked up at the elderly wizard while Bernard attempted to talk while the look in his eyes betrayed his terror. It was not long before the boy was led out of the Great Hall to walk to the Hospital Wing while Tom began to enjoy the meal before them.

Around him, students talked quietly about what had just happened and staff kept casting curious glances in that direction. The most curious of all was Albus Dumbledore who sat quietly as he looked at the small dark-haired boy at the Slytherin table. He thought back to the conversation that had occurred in Tom’s room in the orphanage and remembered Tom’s comment about being able to make people and animals do things that he wanted them to. Bernard had been busy giving Tom a very hard time about something and had gone suddenly quiet immediately after Tom had given him a frightening glance. There was no doubt in Dumbledore’s mind that the dark-haired child had something to do with what had happened and he made up his mind to keep an eye on the boy.

Molly glanced across the room at the boy at the Slytherin table. She, too, had been getting warnings to stay away from him, but she felt something for Tom and wasn’t ready to part with it. This was in direct conflict with what her parents had told her about getting too close to students from Slytherin and, although she normally obeyed her parents, she didn’t see a problem with being friendly with him. The warmth that she felt when he was near was comforting and she thought that he felt the same way about her.

When lunch ended the students began to rise and the young pair hurried to meet in order to walk to class together. Charms class was next for them and Molly had heard that the professor was a stickler for promptness. Being late to his class was an easy way to earn detention and lose points for their Houses. Being a first year she understood that to lose points now was a swift way to garner the anger of old students and she had no desire to do that. She swiftly grabbed Tom’s hand and they joined the swarm of students going through their day.

Tom was considering what had happened in the Great Hall and he realized, not for the first time, that he would have an easy time dealing with anyone who gave him a problem. The girl next to him, however, was an enigma. Molly accepted him for whom he was and didn’t judge him as they had at Wool’s Orphanage. She often gave him an easy smile that was accompanied with the twinkling of her brown eyes. They arrived at the classroom of Filius Flitwick and were soon settling into their seats while the tiny professor surveyed the class before him. He also looked at each of his students and paused at each one, but the look that he gave Tom was quite different from the one that the boy had received from Professor Slughorn.

Filius Flitwick, a part-goblin, suspected that an unspoken charm had been cast at Bernard Mason and wondered which student had been able to do it. There was something about the Riddle boy that made the professor wonder if he wasn’t the one who had cast the charm. How he had been able to do it was a mystery and Professor Flitwick intended to discover how it had occurred.

This was the first time that the first years were permitted to actually draw their wands and Tom felt a surge of excitement even though he knew that the diminutive professor had cast a charm that prevented them from actually casting a charm of their own. Filius Flitwick was far more interested in them learning the wrist motions than the spell at this time, the words would come later. The students waited patiently as the professor walked from one of them to the next to correct their movements. It was not long before the Professor was standing next to him and praising him.

“Mister Riddle, that is excellent! You have a very nice wrist movement and I am certain that, once we begin the charms themselves you shall have no difficulty performing them. Well done!”

He watched as Professor Flitwick moved on to Molly and heard similar praise going her direction. What troubled the boy was the fact that he couldn’t seem to concentrate on something that he wanted to try. A boy from Gryffindor had created an issue for him and he wanted the child to get into trouble, but he couldn’t form the thoughts that he needed to get the job done. Obviously the charm that the professor had cast was interfering with what he wanted to do and it wasn’t wise to anger the tiny wizard. That had been proven when a student from Slytherin had walked into class late and had been subjected to Filius Flitwick’s wrath.

Apparently the thing to do, the boy reasoned, was to make the professors as happy with him as he could. That meant being kind to everyone and following the rules to the letter. He was going to have to do what he had done with Martha, make them believe that he was in complete compliance with everything that they wanted him to do. Molly was setting an example to follow and he knew that if he followed her lead any eyes upon him would look the other way.

The class ended soon enough and it was time for the first years to get a chance to go to a room off of the library to work on assignments before they had flying practice. Tom knew that witches and wizards flew brooms, he had seen books about that in the library at the orphanage, but he really hadn’t believed it. Now it was proven to be true and he couldn’t wait to try his hand at something that he had always wanted to do, fly!

He walked with the group to the large room where he and Molly sat down to study and read the assigned pages. The spell book that he had was large and heavy, but he opened it quickly to read what Professor Dumbledore had told them to. He wanted to impress Dumbledore, for he had the impression that the wizard still suspected him of various things and he knew also that his actions against the other orphans had caused concern. Dumbledore was the wizard that he had to work the hardest to impress, of that there was no doubt, and there was no time better than the present.

There was also, however, Professor Flitwick, who had seemed rather suspicious of him and this Tom realized was another classroom that he needed to excel in. He needed to garner the best marks that he could and hopefully have the highest marks in his year. This and his efforts to seem blameless were what he needed to impress the small wizard.

When the hour ended he and Molly hurried to make their way to the flying practice field where they and several other first years waited for the arrival of their professor. Already several brooms lay in neat rows as they waited for the students that would soon ride them. In the distance, the first years could see one of the Quidditch teams hard at practice and they were dazzled by the agility that the students dressed in yellow were exhibiting. A moment later a familiar figure appeared before them with a loud POP and they found themselves facing none other than Professor Armando Dippet.

“Greetings, first years and welcome to your flying class where I am sure you will enjoy yourselves. Now, your professor is currently on leave and, until that time that he returns, you shall have various professors filling in. The thing that is most important in this class is safety because you eventually will be traveling at the height and speed that those students are. Every one of those students at one time was standing exactly where you are now and was just as apprehensive as I am certain many of you are. There is no need to worry because we are going to take the lessons one step at a time to prevent injury.”

“Now, step up to the right side of your broom and say up while at the same time concentrating on what you want the broom to do. Keeping your concentration is very important especially when you are in the air.”

The students were soon grasping their broomsticks and, under the guidance of the Headmaster, sitting astride them. A moment later, Tom found himself hovering a meter off of the ground before leaning forward to settle back to the ground. Somehow, the feel of the ground under his feet was different than it had ever been before and somehow disappointing. He found himself elated when they were allowed to hover once again, this time a foot higher than before.

Tom swiftly proved to be gifted at this as student after student was unceremoniously dumped onto the ground after falling from their broom. Luckily no injuries resulted and the students were soon on their brooms once again much to the pleasure of Professor Dippet. Headmaster Armando Dippet was extremely happy with this crop of first years; most of them were showing promise on the brooms, especially Tom Riddle. The boy seemed to be a natural at flying, despite the fact that he had grown up in a Muggle orphanage and had had no previous experience on a broom.

It was a disappointed group of first years that had to surrender the brooms when class ended and they soon were walking towards the greenhouses for Herbology class. The professor, Herbert Beery, was another no nonsense sort and within fifteen minutes Tom had decided that he didn’t like the wizard. Still, this was the final class of the day and the boy made the best of it as he followed directions as they were given. When the class was dismissed Tom wasted no time leaving the classroom, much to Molly’s dismay for she had found that she rather liked the class and wanted to linger. But Tom gripped her hand tightly and they were soon walking back towards the point where they would have to part to go their respective common rooms.

Reluctantly Tom allowed Molly to pull her hand from his and he watched as she ascended the stairs that would take her to the Hufflepuff common rooms before walking down his own stairs. He knew that he would see her soon enough when they arrived at the Great Hall for dinner and that he would have to content himself with his thoughts of the girl. He and several other Slytherin made their way down the stairs and down the length of a corridor which led to the portrait of an evil looking witch where the student in the lead gave the password that permitted entry.

When he arrived in his dorm he flopped back onto his bed where he lay staring up at the ceiling. He had seen Bernard and the boy had been able to talk once again, but he doubted that Bernard knew exactly what had happened to him and that was a good thing. Bernard was a Prefect and attacking him could lead to expulsion from Hogwarts and that was something that Tom didn’t want to chance. Still, Tom didn’t like to be told what to do and had no intention of avoiding Molly no matter what anyone said about the relationship.

_‘He can tell me to be in the common room by a certain time and what to do when necessary, but he cannot tell me who I can like! He cannot tell me and I will not listen, I do not care what he says, and the next time he tries I might just have to actually make him hurt. Then we will see just how brave he is, he is no different than Billy and Billy was really easy to make do what I want. Bernard will not be any different, even if he is not a Muggle.’_

The remainder of the day went surprisingly fast and, once in the Great Hall, Tom hated to see supper end. This meant that he would not see Molly for the remainder of the night and yet another incredibly long night thinking about the girl.

As he lay in bed that night Tom thought about the girl, her dazzling smile and kind nature, but he was thinking about other things. There were students here in Slytherin, both in his year and older, that were not as capable as he but still useful.

It was how useful they would be that he had yet to think of.


	4. Questioned Innocence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom begins to gather followers and hides from guilt.

In the month since the start of the term Tom had experienced a number of successes, the greatest of which was the fact that Professor Flitwick trusted him now. He had gone to great lengths to appear innocent of any wrong doing and now was spoken highly of in the staff room when the members of that group met. The incident with Bernard Mason had slipped into history and was no longer discussed while the boy still had it very much in his memory.

Bernard now avoided Tom, there was just something about him that frightened the older boy and Bernard was willing to forget about Molly. Many of the younger girls from Slytherin desired Tom but he brushed them aside in favor of the blonde girl from Hufflepuff and this caused no small amount of angst in the common room of their House.

Tom and Molly spent as much time as they could together and could often be found sitting side by side in the common areas of the castle or in class. None of the professors minded that the pair seemed to be highly fond of each other but knew that, sooner or later, the bond would break and the children would go their separate ways. It happened all too often with other pairs for them to think otherwise.

Now Tom sat on a bench in one of the corridors while he waited for Molly to come out of the second floor girl’s lavatory. None of the students that passed him gave him much more than a moment’s notice and he looked up happily when the girl finally appeared. He rose from his seat and they walked along together as they proceeded to Potions class. Molly was struggling in that class and often relied on Tom to help her get through the lessons that Professor Slughorn assigned.

Horace Slughorn was overjoyed with the abilities that the boy was demonstrating and often praised him for excellence in his work. Although she tried to please the professor Molly wasn’t as adept as her boyfriend, she was much more capable in Charms class and was easily Tom’s superior there.

“What do you think that we are going to do today in class,” the girl asked.

“Who knows, but at least we are through the just reading out of the book part of class! That was completely horrid and I hate to think of having to ever do that again.”

“Did you see what Alfred Goyle did in Transfiguration?”

“I missed it, but I have never seen Dumbledore so angry.”

“He set the poor mouse that he was supposed to Transfigure on fire! It was horrible, the wretched little thing was running around on his desk trying to get away before it fell off onto the floor and he stepped on it. He crushed the life out of it after torturing it.”

“Maybe it was an accident,” Tom offered.

“Not bloody likely, he was laughing the entire time while he watched it burn! He and William Crabbe are horrid; they both thought that it was hilarious. Those two stick together like glue! Are they like that down in Slytherin?”

Tom thought about what the girl had asked for a moment before answering. He had seen the incident with the mouse and had also found it quite funny, but he didn’t want Molly to discover that he enjoyed the antics of the pair of fellow Slytherin. The last thing that he needed was for the girl to find out that he was at times lying to her; she might break everything off and go on to someone else. He knew that there were several boys in her House that wanted to be where he was with Molly and would jump at any chance to do so.

One of those boys had tried to interfere with them and had paid a painful price when he had “slipped” on one of the stones out in the Entry Courtyard and had fallen. This had resulted in a badly broken arm and a trip to the Hospital Wing for the would-be suitor. Tom had appeared blameless, being on the other side of the courtyard when the boy had approached Molly, and had rushed to offer aid to the stricken Hufflepuff. This act had gained Slytherin ten points for the display of compassion that Tom had exhibited and Molly had become more entranced with him because of it.

“Tom, are you there?” Molly asked with a giggle.

Tom glanced into the dancing brown eyes of the girl and at the smile that she wore.

“I’m sorry, Molly, I was just thinking about something.”

“I’ll say, you almost walked into that pillar back there. If I hadn’t grabbed you, you would have plowed right into it! So, are they like that down in Slytherin?”

“Who?”

“Crabbe and Goyle! Do they stick together like that down in Slytherin?”

“Inseparable! You cannot get them apart.”

“That’s what I thought.”

They arrived at the door to the classroom and Tom opened it to allow the girl to enter before crossing the threshold himself. Groans escaped several students as they saw the parchments that lay on their desks and the quills that lay beside them. Obviously they were going to take an exam and there was no chance of cheating for Professor Slughorn had provided special quills that prevented dishonesty during their task.

Molly and Tom sat down quietly as Horace Slughorn watched his class of first years walk into the room. They had just been seated and were preparing to begin when Alfred Goyle and William Crabbe walked in together late to class and laughing boisterously. The professor approached the pair as they sat down and the boys looked up at him with an apparent lack of concern.

“Mister Crabbe, Mister Goyle, once again you are late to my class and have interrupted preparations for an exam. I am quite exasperated with your lack of dedication to your studies and concern for the impact that it has on your schoolmates. As much as it pains me to take points from the House that I head, ten points shall be taken from Slytherin…”

“Ten points!” the boys answered in unison as they interrupted the professor.

“Ten points for each of you! That means that Slytherin House shall lose twenty points. See to it that you are in this room on time from now on and lower your noise level as well. Now,” Slughorn continued as he faced the remainder of his class while the pair glowered at him, “you shall have ten minutes to look over your notes before we begin. I suggest that you get started now!”

Tom hurried to get his notes out of his bag while Molly had already opened hers to begin reading them. What she lacked in skill in the preparation of potions she made up for when taking notes and answering questions during class discussion. Horace Slughorn fully expected that the girl would be able to catch up with some of the more capable members of her class while others he doubted.

He glanced at yet another Slytherin boy that he felt had promise, if only he would apply himself.

 _‘Abraxas Malfoy is exactly the opposite in appearance of Tom Riddle,’_ he thought to himself, _‘but clearly his equal in intelligence. If only he would apply himself in class, he has that arrogance about himself and does not care what others say about him.’_

The boy with stark white hair and piercing blue eyes glanced up at the professor that was watching him and growled to himself.

"Slimy Slughorn is watching me again. He thinks that just because he is the Head of Slytherin that it means something to me. I could care less about him or anything that he has to say to me. Father will have his job if he does anything less than pass me! He isn’t even good enough to be a servant let alone a professor; our filthy House-elves are far better than him at everything!"

Tom had noticed all of these things and was watching the happenings with interest. Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle all had the potential to be very useful and had the temperament that was needed as well as the determination to have those who opposed them on their knees. All that they needed was someone to lead them and Tom felt that he was just the person for that job.

He pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind where they could grow while he concentrated on the exam before him. The boy grinned as he realized that everything that he had studied was on the exam while what he had neglected was not. Somehow he had known what to study as usual and this ability, he knew, was one that would serve him well.

Professor Slughorn walked around his classroom while the children worked and he tried to rid himself of the headache that was plaguing him. It had started while the students were preparing for the exam and he was dressing Crabbe and Goyle down. Somehow it almost seemed as though someone had sifted through his mind, but he knew that this was impossible given the fact that these were first year students. The ability to look into someone’s mind was far beyond their abilities, requiring an enormous amount of study and practice and he knew that none of these children had possessed a chance to attain it.

The classroom was quiet save the scratching of quills against parchment and it was not long before students began to lay the quills down and raise their hand for his attention. He scuttled along through the rows to collect the exams as they were finished and soon was ready to dismiss his class. A quick scan of the room revealed what he suspected, however, as he saw that neither Crabbe nor Goyle were finished.

“Mister Crabbe, Mister Goyle, we are all waiting for you! As usual, you are the last to finish and I am quite certain that neither of your parchments will be complete. I shall mark what is finished and what is not shall be considered in error.”

The students watched as he stepped forward, snatched the parchments and then turned to dismiss the class as he shook his head while examining the latest exams to come into his possession. He dropped them onto the top of his desk and watched as the children filed out of the room while he wondered why his headache had suddenly vanished.

Molly glanced at the boy who was holding her hand as they walked towards their next class. Once again, Tom seemed to be deep in thought and quieter than normal. This troubled Molly for it was happening with increasing regularity and she had found that he was becoming distant at times. She liked Tom a lot, almost loved him, but wondered at times if her parents hadn’t been correct when they told her to stay away from Slytherin boys. The girl was grateful that her sister was not yet at Hogwarts as the younger child was certain to inform their parents about what their older daughter was doing, especially if she was going against their wishes.

Tom stopped abruptly bringing Molly to a halt as well. He looked at the girl before pulling his hand free.

“I have to step in here for a moment,” he said as he indicated the door to a boy’s lavatory.

“I guess I’ll visit this one,” she answered as she walked towards a girl’s room.

Tom stepped into the restroom, not to use it in the normal sense, but to think for a moment. There was something to be done and he wondered if Malfoy, Crabbe or Goyle would be gullible enough to do it for him. A first year Ravenclaw had been giving him a bit of a headache where Molly was concerned and he knew if he dealt with the boy trouble would result. But, if he could make any of the three thick-headed dolts believe that the boy was talking about them perhaps they would take care of the problem for him. He smiled for a moment before leaving the bathroom to find Molly waiting patiently for him.

“And they say that girls take a long time in the bathroom! I thought that maybe you had slipped out and left me.”

He smiled at the pretty girl before grabbing her hand and joining her in a sprint towards class. Professor Lands’ room was not far and they had plenty of time to get there before being considered tardy. Tom marveled at the feel of the girl’s flesh next to his and hoped that nothing ever came between them. He also hoped that Molly would never do anything that would cause him to have to deal with her in a fashion that would end their relationship forever. The thought of that happening angered him and terrified him at the same time, but for now she seemed completely devoted to him and that was all that mattered.

When they arrived the pair hurried into the room and quickly found their seats. Molly proceeded to pull what she needed out of her bag while Tom’s attention settled on the boy from Ravenclaw that seemed to have eyes for Molly. Something had to be done and done quickly, the direct approach was out of the question but the other way wasn’t.

As the class settled down to listen to Professor Lands Tom glanced at Goyle, he was the best likely candidate for the deal. Moments later, Tom was deep in concentration, following along in class while at the same time putting his plan in motion.

Alfred Goyle was doing his normal, struggling to pay attention in class. Normally he could get at least some of what Professor Lands was saying, but today something was interfering with even that. Deep within his mind was the growing suspicion that one of the Ravenclaw first years was talking about how dull Goyle was, actually calling him dumb. Alfred knew that he wasn’t the brightest student, but he certainly was smart enough to understand that he didn’t like being talked about in that manner. He glanced up at the boy just as the Ravenclaw looked back at him and actually smirked!

_‘Just wait until I catch up with you, you little dolt, I’ll teach you to talk about me and then smile about it! I’ll show you who the dull one is. We will just see how well you are able to look at the chalkboard with two black eyes.’_

Tom watched as Goyle’s attention settled on the boy from Ravenclaw and knew that his plan was a success. Given Alfred’s tendency to settle things with his fists, Robert would soon have other things to worry about besides Molly.

When class ended many minutes later the students hurried out of the classroom to go to the Great Hall for the mid-day meal. No one paid any attention to the fact that Goyle was not present at the Slytherin table or that Robert Parsons was not at the table for Ravenclaw, no one except Tom. A few minutes after lunch had begun Goyle sauntered into the chamber and made his way to his seat. None of the staff thought much of it as students often were late, having made stops in the lavatories.

Alfred sat down and Tom noticed with satisfaction the bruises on his knuckles.

“Hurt yourself there, Alfred?” Tom asked as he indicated the damage to the skin on the other boy’s hands.

“Just had to take care of a problem in the lavatory,” was the grunted reply.

It was towards the end of the meal that one of the Prefects from Ravenclaw noticed that Robert was not present at the table. The small boy had an annoyingly high pitched voice that never stopped making noise with incessant conversation. Still, it wasn’t like the boy to miss a meal as he seemed to eat the equivalent to his body weight at each sitting. The Prefect rose and hurried out of the Great Hall to look for the missing member of his House.

It would not be long before the missing child was located stuffed into a cupboard in one of the bathrooms by another student who needed to use the bathroom. Shortly, Professor Dippet was standing in the restroom while the boy was recovered from the place in which he had been hidden. Robert Parsons was a mess, he was bruised and bloodied and his robes had been treated just as badly as he. The boy whimpered as he was led out of the room and carried to the Hospital Wing for treatment.

The news about the discovery of the missing boy quickly traveled about Hogwarts and Tom was satisfied with the results. There was no doubt that Goyle was responsible for the incident, but Tom wasn’t going to inform on him. He had proven to be useful and Tom wondered how many other students in his House would be just as useful. There were plenty of dull, thick-headed students in Slytherin of both genders that could be “recruited” to deal with resistance and this made Tom happy. He could get things done and yet still remain above suspicion, his hands free of blood.

Robert, once he had recovered, was unable to tell who had attacked him as he had been taken from behind. He had only a brief vision of a large person before the ordeal had begun and then he was stuffed into the cupboard. The person had said nothing, but had let his hands do the talking for him. Robert Parsons would spend the next few days thinking about what had occurred before deciding to stay to himself and keep his eyes off of others.

Molly was slightly disappointed by the sudden distance that Robert was giving her; the pair had been working together on an assignment for class while Tom had been paired with another girl. The pairings had been at random in Transfiguration and Molly was grateful when Professor Dumbledore told her to get with one of the existing groups when Robert had refused to work further with her. The boy had lost points for Ravenclaw when he told Dumbledore that he wanted to work alone after the incident in the bathroom, but had refused to budge on his resolve.

Robert fully believed that Tom was involved somehow, but was told that Tom had been in the Great Hall the entire time after he and Molly had entered together. It had to have been a boy because it had occurred in the boy’s restroom and the person was far too large to have been female. That left the few students who had entered the Great Hall late, one of which was Alfred Goyle.

Alfred maintained his innocence when questioned and readily explained the damage to his knuckles as the result of a fall down some stairs, an incident which had occurred before the attack and had been seen by many including staff. The large boy claimed to know nothing about the assault and stuck to his story which in the end helped relegate the attack to the position of an unsolved mystery.

Many nights after the attack, Goyle lay in his bed as he thought about what had happened and considered the change since.

_‘I guess that the little prat will be careful about whom he talks about, but how did I know that he was talking about me? No one told me and I didn’t catch him, so how did I know? I’m going to find out one way or the other and deal with them too.’_

Tom lay in his own bed as he too thought about the incident with Robert. It had all been so easy, just as it had been back in Wool’s Orphanage when he would make the other orphans do what he wanted them to do. He smiled to himself as the memories of orphans being led into Mrs. Cole’s office to be punished came back to him and the confusion that the others had expressed when they were caught doing things that they knew were wrong, but were doing anyway. Some of them had explained that they had been forced to do what they had done, but these explanations had been pushed aside as excuses and the punishments had proceeded.

The most delicious memories were those of Amy being punished for things that she had been made to do. He had enjoyed the wailing that the girl had produced as she emerged from the office of Mrs. Cole as he had watched from concealment at the top of the stairs.

These were the only things that he missed about the orphanage, that and the truck that still lay hidden under the board in his former room. No doubt it was still there because there was no reason for anyone to lift the boards in the floor and he had made certain that they were tightly fastened down. He was certain that the toy would lay there until the building itself came down therefore his secret was safe.

He fell asleep that night unaware that someone else in the castle was thinking about the incident. Albus Dumbledore sat at the desk in his classroom as he considered what had happened. The boy had been present and in plain sight when Robert Parsons had been attacked, but was he entirely blameless? He had been angry when he had not been paired with Molly Porter, almost frighteningly so, and then incredibly happy when the other boy had been attacked.

Tom had told him that he could make others do what he wanted and Dumbledore wondered if the boy had planted the suggestion in the mind of Alfred Goyle. The Goyle boy had such an undisciplined mind that he represented a prime target for such an act. Dumbledore put down the quill that he had been using to mark papers to stare out across his empty classroom at the seat normally occupied by Tom Riddle.

“What have you done, Tom?” he said to himself. “What have you done and what else do you intend to do?”


	5. Is This Love?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom's influence grows within Hogwarts, yet he finds himself laboring under the influence of someone else.

Molly Porter sat on a bench in the Great Hall studying her Potions assignment and attempting to ignore the conversations that were going on around her. The weather outside was getting colder and she wasn’t as inclined to sit on the benches in the courtyard as she had been when the term had begun. The trouble with sitting in the Great Hall was the fact that the conversations that were reaching her weren’t always the most kind and many of them centered on her.

The fact that she and Tom were still together wasn’t sitting well with older members of both Hufflepuff and Slytherin and she had been the target of many rumors. This had brought the child to tears on many occasions and no one except for Tom had come to her aid. The boy had mended the distance that he had been displaying and was now more attentive to her. Molly was grateful for this, but had no clue as to the real reason for it.

Tom had, in the space of a month, gathered several people that he could count on to do his bidding. Many of them had no idea why they were doing what they were, but did it anyhow. This often brought loss of points to the Houses of the involved students and Tom was careful to make certain that if something could lose points it would not be Slytherin that suffered.

The young girl looked up as yet another whispered conversation reached her ears and she turned to see several older girls watching her from the Slytherin table. Molly quickly turned back around to gather her things and then hurry out of the Great Hall. She had just reached the stairs that led to the common room of her House when she heard the voice behind her.

“What makes you think that you are good enough to see a Slytherin boy?”

She attempted to continue on her way but was suddenly blocked by a larger girl that had stepped in her path after catching up with her. There was no way around the older girl and the others that she had seen at the table were soon surrounding her. She looked down at the floor as the girls continued their activities.

“Are you going to answer me or do I have to beat it out of you?”

“I like him,’ Molly responded in a voice that was so soft that the larger girls could barely hear it.

“You what?”

“I like him,” Molly repeated.

“I cannot believe what you just said! You are out of your mind if you think that you belong with a Slytherin. Stay away from him or you might just get hurt!”

The other girls that surrounded Molly laughed loudly as Agatha Childs grabbed the books out of Molly’s arms and then threw them onto the floor. Then the larger girl reached forward to grab the arm of the younger girl.

“Do you understand me, Hufflepuff trash?”

Molly blinked back tears as the grip intensified on her arm and she knew that there was nothing that she could do about the older girl that refused to release her. She was sobbing violently now and this amused the group.

“Are you going to cry now?”

“Maybe you should let her go before she makes a puddle on the floor,” one of the other girls added.

“It wouldn’t make her any less disgusting! I cannot even see what a Slytherin boy would see in her. She’s ugly! Maybe if I ripped out this hair it would make her look better.”

None of the group of girls noticed Tom as he approached them and he was instantly angered when he realized what was going on and who the victim was. Only one thought crossed his mind and he more than eagerly shared it with the bullies.

_‘LEAVE HER ALONE AND GO TELL PROFESSOR DIPPET WHAT YOU WERE DOING!’_

The girl who was holding onto Molly released her arm immediately and then paused as Tom watched from his vantage point. For a moment Tom thought that maybe she was going to resist the suggestion that he had made and he wanted to take no chances.

_‘GO NOW AND TELL PROFESSOR DIPPET WHAT YOU WERE DOING!’_

Agatha Childs blinked her eyes as the voice inside her head repeated itself forcefully and then looked at the others in her group. She could tell that they had heard it too and wondered if it had said the same thing to them.

“I think that maybe we should talk to Professor Dippet,” Penelope Moore said as she backed away from Molly, who stood there mystified by the turn of events.

Two of the other girls nodded their agreement and one of them nudged Agatha to prod her along. Finally the girls left the area and walked down the corridor to find the Headmaster with a message repeating itself in their minds. Professor Armando Dippet would be extremely surprised when the quartet of girls, who were known bullies, approached him to confess that they had accosted a smaller child.

Tom watched as the girls departed and then approached Molly to help her pick her books up from the floor. Several of them bore torn pages but they knew that the witch that cared for the library could mend them easily and they quickly set a course for that room.

“What were they on you about?” Tom asked, as if he didn’t know.

“They want me to stay away from you! They said that I’m not worthy of you and that I’m trash,” Molly responded through tears that had once again begun to course down her cheeks.

Tom did something next that surprised both of them; he released her hand and put that arm around her shoulders. At first the girl thought that he was rejecting her, but relaxed when she felt his touch. She leaned against him as he guided her towards their destination and he marveled in the thing that he was feeling.

_‘I think that this must be love! I have never felt this way about anyone or anything before, not even the truck.’_

The pair arrived at the library and soon they were watching as the books were mended effortlessly by the witch they encountered. She watched with amusement as the young boy and girl joined hands before leaving the room and thought back to when she first encountered love.

Agatha Childs was angry, the Headmaster had assigned detention for their activities and that meant a loss of points for Slytherin as well as manual labor in the school gardens. She wondered about the voice that she was almost certain that she had heard in her head before she and her companions had gone mad. There was no person in the castle that could have told her face to face to go to Professor Dippet and confess to what she had done, but she had done it and this worried her.

There was no way that the little Hufflepuff girl could have created the voice that she was almost certain that she had heard. She was only a first year! Something strange was going on because this seemed rather like what Bernard Mason had talked about. He too had thought that he had heard a voice in his head only it had told him to shut up and then he had been unable to speak for several hours. Agatha shook her head and, with her group of friends, walked towards the stairs that led to Slytherin House.

Tom thought to himself as he walked with Molly. Again he had been able to make someone do what he wanted them to do and this proved to him that, although she didn’t know it, Agatha was going to be a useful tool. She, like Goyle, had the temperament and size to deal with those who opposed what he wanted. There was also the fact that she and her friends really didn’t care about the loss of points and seemed to enjoy hurting others.

Already, he had his sights on a group of girls from Gryffindor that also had met disfavor with him. The girls viewed him as a bad influence on Molly and had made it no secret that they intended to see it that the pair was separated.

 _‘They are not going to win,’_ he thought to himself, _‘maybe Agatha and her friends should think that the Gryffindors are talking about them. It worked with Alfred and they are not much brighter than he.’_

Tom and Molly had walked for a great distance until they reached the door that led outside and to the bridge that led to the stone circle. There they hurried across the bridge until they reached the middle where they stopped to talk.

“Tom, am I getting you into trouble with the other Slytherin? Please tell me if I am.”

Tom looked at the girl for a moment before answering. He could see the pleading in her eyes as well as fear of rejection.

“The others don’t like it, but I don’t care. Why do you ask?”

Molly turned to look out over the valley that the bridge traversed before she spoke again and now it was Tom that was afraid.

“Tom, I cannot live with myself if I am getting you into trouble with your Housemates. If you want me to I will leave you alone, just say so and I will.”

Tom could see the tears that were running from her eyes and down her cheeks as she waited for his reply. Molly was trembling as she waited the long instant for him to speak and dreaded what she might hear. Finally he spoke again.

“I want you to stay, Molly! What they think doesn’t matter to me! I like you and want to be with you unless you don’t want me.”

The pair looked at each other again before suddenly hugging tightly. He looked into her eyes and saw not fear but joy. He released the girl and then something strange happened; he felt a warm, moist touch against his cheek before the girl stepped away. Tom reached up to touch his face where Molly had kissed him as he looked at the apprehensive girl. She was blushing slightly as she realized what she had done and hoped that he didn’t mind.

Tom reacted without thinking as he gathered the girl in his arms again before their lips met. Both had seen older students do this and had wondered about the experience. They marveled at the closeness that they felt and enjoyed the warmth of the other’s body against theirs. When the kiss ended they each looked into the other’s eyes before they started laughing as they joined hands once again.

“I’ll never let them break us apart,” Tom said suddenly, “and anyone who tries will not like what happens.”

Molly frowned as she wondered what the boy met but put it from their mind as they walked back towards the castle. The wind on the bridge was dreadfully cool and they hurried to get back to the warmth that Hogwarts promised.

Albus Dumbledore watched the interaction from the window of his office and smiled. Although he still had reservations about Tom he also hoped that Molly could bring the boy around. Strange things had been happening within the school, things that had never happened prior to the start of the current term and Dumbledore wondered if the boy was the cause of it. It was all too strange to be just a coincidence, the boy had admitted during their meeting in the orphanage that he could make people do things and now students were committing offenses that were far beyond their normal behavior.

Just yesterday two second year boys from Hufflepuff had gotten into a fight in the Great Hall during the midday meal. There had been no known provocation, but both had been involved in confrontations with Tom that had been about the fact that Molly was seeing the Slytherin boy. The fight had started without warning when the boys had simply risen and attacked each other.

Through the entire battle Tom had watched intently and with a near grin on his face that only vanished when he realized that his reaction had been noticed. He had spent the remainder of the meal talking with another first year and acting as though he was unconcerned about the boys that had been escorted from the scene. Both had seemed mystified about the occurrence when questioned and had stated that they had attacked each other for reasons that they couldn’t remember.

Another troubling fact was the company that the boy was keeping. Alfred Goyle, Abraxas Malfoy and William Crabbe all were among his retinue and all of them had run afoul of the rules at least once already this term. Alone they were nearly intolerable, but together they represented a headache for staff and students alike. The three boys seemed to have no fear of correction by the staff and often presented an air of indifference when scolded or threatened with detention and the loss of points. If Tom was involved he represented a convolution of the problem. The boy had innate abilities and obviously knew how to use them to influence others.

He lost sight of the pair as they re-entered the castle and thought about the boy for just a moment more before returning to his desk to continue planning. The seventh years were proving to be a challenge and were meeting every lesson that he presented with gusto. It was time to give them the challenge that they desired.

Tom and Molly had parted as she hurried to her dorm to drop off the book that she had been studying and while he waited Tom saw the group of Gryffindor girls that he had been waiting for. A moment later, his brow furrowed as he concentrated on them and he focused on the girls seeing Agatha and her friends involved in a conversation about them. The girls faltered in their step and then paused as they gathered in the center of the hall.

“I am really tired of Agatha and her cronies talking about us. I think that it’s time to deal with this little issue and send those Slytherin a message they will never forget,” the leader of the Gryffindor students growled.

The rest of the group of girls nodded their agreement as their leader finished speaking before they set off on a mission to find Agatha and her friends.

Tom looked up happily as Molly reappeared and the pair set out for the library to study in front of the large windows where they could enjoy the heat of the sun passing through the glass. That course also took them in the direction that the Gryffindor girls had taken and Tom hoped to see some of the action. He wasn’t disappointed.

Agatha and her group were emerging from the stairs to Slytherin House when they encountered Beatrice Hall and her friends. The groups immediately began hurling insults at each other and before long were exchanging blows and at least one curse. A Gryffindor girl suddenly went board stiff as the body-bind struck her and she toppled to the ground while other wands were being drawn. Students not involved in the fracas scattered as hateful magic began to fill the air. It was not long before Professor Dippet and other staff members appeared on the scene to restore order.

Tom and Molly had hurried to the library and were sitting in front of a window while she read and they whispered back and forth. Tom pretended to be interested in a book that he had pulled from a shelf but was actually much attuned to what students that were entering the library were saying.

There had been a fight near the stairs to Slytherin involving girls from that House as well as some from Gryffindor. At least one girl had been subjected to the body-bind and others had been hit by various curses. The entire lot was in the Headmaster’s office getting a royal dressing down by Professors Dippet, Dumbledore and Slughorn. Both Houses would no doubt be losing points.

Tom listened intently and knew that Agatha and her friends would probably be sent to the Isolation Tower for a few days. The Isolation Tower was located in an unused part of the castle’s right hand side of the third floor and was a place that no one wanted to go to. Covered in dust and spider webs, the rooms were supposedly haunted by things far worse than ghosts and voluntary exile to the place was unheard of. Students who were assigned to the Isolation Tower were also assigned to eat at small Isolation tables that were scattered about the Great Hall with a shield around them to prevent conversation with others. The fact that Agatha and her friends had already been in trouble today made their assignment there a given.

He rose from his seat and Molly looked up at him in confusion.

“Where are you going?”

“The Great Hall, it’s time to eat.”

The girl hurried to place the book back on the shelf it had come from and they grabbed each other’s hand before leaving the room to make their way to the meal.

Professor Dippet’s office was one that was not a happy place as the girls faced an angered Headmaster and two professors.

“I have never, in all of my years here at Hogwarts, seen such a display as the one that you ladies presented today. Fighting in the corridors and casting curses while innocent students try to get out of your way is far beyond what I would call acceptable behavior, especially for older students who should be setting examples for the younger ones!”

“I am taking twenty points for each one of you from your Houses and assigning you all to the Isolation Tower. In the interest of preventing further conflict, one group will go to the North side while the other goes to the South. Any attempt at further unpleasant contact shall result in an owl to your parents and suspension for a month. Now, each of you shall place your wand on my desk and then I shall have Professors Dumbledore and Slughorn lead you to your new place of temporary residence.”

The young couple walked through a castle abuzz with the news about the fight and caught a glimpse of the condemned walking with the professors towards the Isolation Tower entrance. They were nearly to the Great Hall when they encountered Professor Dumbledore’s junior professor dressing down William Crabbe.

“Mister Crabbe,” Tobias Leeds barked, “I want no further instances of the transfiguration of mice into trolls! You have set the entire Great Hall into a panic and I, for one, do not find it funny at all. Now, you shall go back into that room and set it straight.”

The pair stepped into a Great Hall that was in chaos and could only watch as William drew his wand and cast the spell that he had been told to.

“ _Tergeo!_ ”

Instantly the mess on the floor and tables vanished and stains on the robes of students cleaned themselves. Molly leaned towards Tom to kiss him on the cheek and then the pair walked towards their respective tables.

Tom sat down at his normal spot so that he could see Molly while one of his friends teased him.

“Outstanding, Riddle, at least you found one that cannot be mistaken for a troll. Your girl is way above the one that Goyle is snogging. All that you need to do is to convince her to leave Hufflepuff and join Slytherin.”

“I doubt that she’ll do that, her Mum and Dad were both from Hufflepuff.”

“So, my parents were both from Ravenclaw and look where I am. I think I’m much better of where I am than they were.”

Tom considered what Geoff was saying as the boy continued the conversation. Maybe Molly could be persuaded to leave Hufflepuff and join Slytherin. That would solve a great many things while probably enraging the whole of Hufflepuff House. Not that the possibility of conflict bothered Tom, he was used to it! He had learned at the orphanage to defend himself and none of the children at Hogwarts represented any anxiety for him, save Molly. The idea of the loss of her companionship was more than he could bear to consider and he wondered what he would do if that ever occurred.

Molly glanced back at Tom as a thought entered her mind.

 _‘I wonder if Tom would ever consider leaving Slytherin to join Hufflepuff? I could never leave Hufflepuff, Mum and Dad would be so angry and hurt if I did. I think that I’ll talk to him later today about it. I hope that he says yes, I cannot bear the thought of us not being together._ ’

Neither child was prepared for what the other would ask when they spoke later that day and, although the conversation went calmly; both sensed a change in their relationship and hoped that it didn’t represent the beginning of the end.

When they had finally parted for the evening and gone to their respective dorms Tom laid silently on his bed while he thought about what the girl had asked of him. True, he had asked the same of her, but wasn’t the girl the one that usually acquiesced to what the boy wanted? Why should he give up Slytherin and go to Hufflepuff? She should be the one to change, because he certainly didn’t want to appear weak! If he appeared weak the other Slytherin boys would lose respect for him and drift away to join other groups leaving him alone and, if he refused the girl, she could very well leave him to go to another also leaving him alone.

Either way he faced loss and Tom Riddle hated to lose.


	6. Plans Carried Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom and his associates continue to produce "accidents" for those who oppose him while suspicions rise about their involvement.

What both had feared came very nearly true, although Molly had taken it quite a bit better than Tom had. The young pair had split for a time and, after many tearful days that were filled with anxiety for both, the boy and girl had mended their relationship to carry on. One thing that was crystal clear, however, was that neither intended to leave the House that they had been sorted into. This created a rift that, while invisible to others, was quite apparent to the couple.

Molly noticed quite early that Tom had begun to distance himself to her, only being attentive to her feelings when he wanted to be. The boy stayed aloof and often found reasons to be with his friends rather than the girl, but being immediately at her side when another boy gave her some attention. This had proven to be a problem for him when he confronted a Hufflepuff boy that was a year older and quite a bit larger about flirting on the boy’s part that was being directed at Molly.

The end result of the yelling and pushing was a black eye that Tom walked away from the scene with. The crowd that had gathered around the boys in the Transfiguration Courtyard had swiftly vanished as Professor Dumbledore hurried out of his room just in time to see the blow struck and Tom reeling from the impact.

“Tom, I want you to go to the Hospital Wing to have that looked at and then report to Professor Dippet in his office.”

The boy nodded numbly as he left the area and walked towards the designated destination while the older boy walked with Professor Dumbledore towards the Headmaster’s Office. Molly had watched in horror as the pair of boys had clashed and knew that she was the reason that they were fighting. She didn’t particularly care for Ward Reynolds but he had brought Tom to his senses and the girl hoped that Tom would pay more attention to her now that he knew that other boys found her desirable.

The stay in the hospital had been brief and Tom was soon walking towards the tower that held the Headmaster’s Office. The stairs seemed to grow in number with each one that he ascended, but he finally reached the top to stand outside the guardian that protected the stairs up to the place he needed to be in.

“Name?”

“Tom Riddle.”

“You may pass, Tom Riddle.”

Tom stepped forward and soon began a turning journey as the stairs began a spiral on their own until he reached the corridor that led to the office of Armando Dippet. A solitary door waited at the end of the corridor and he knocked on it before waiting for it to be answered. Without waiting, the door swung open silently and he stepped into the office that students tried to avoid.

The boy entered a circular room that was flanked by numerous glass fronted cabinets that held often indescribable objects the origin of which he could not even begin to imagine. Dozens of portraits of wizards and witches covered the ceiling of the chamber except for where a large arched opening lay.

Through it he could see two more circular chambers, each on a higher elevation than the one before it. The top-most chamber held an incredible piece of machinery that he couldn’t understand the function of and the one below it was filled with bookshelves that held more books than he had ever seen, with the exception of Flourish and Blotts. The bookshop might have as many books as there were in this room, but he doubted it.

What gathered his attention though was the desk that sat in the center of the arched opening and the wizard that sat behind it while the boy that he had fought sat in a chair waiting for him. He approached slowly and then sat down in a vacant chair that had appeared while he ascended the short flight of stairs to the office.

Armando Dippet regarded the small, dark-haired boy that was joining the conversation and wasn’t certain what to make of him. Most students who appeared in his office were visibly frightened, but this one seemed to be almost unconcerned about the situation.

“Mister Reynolds, Mister Riddle, I am very concerned about the occurrence in the Transfiguration Courtyard. Fighting is not permitted at Hogwarts and will not be tolerated in any form. Now it is my understanding that the whole thing occurred because of a young lady, but I highly doubt that fighting is the way to impress her. You are not stags fighting in the forest over a doe. I am going to take ten points from each House in the hopes that you will take this as a learning experience and will not repeat it. Should you decide to I will take stronger measures.”

The wizard behind the desk waved his hand and the door that the boys had used to enter the chamber opened.

“You may both go, but be aware of the fact that I shall watch you both until you reach your common rooms.”

The boys swiftly rose and soon were walking back to their respective common rooms to gather what they needed for their next classes. Tom was rather angry that he had gotten had gotten the same punishment as Ward. He was the one with the black eye, not Ward, and yet he was being punished for being a victim. He was also a tad upset with Molly, who seemed to have encouraged the interest that the boy had shown in her. While he had no intention of striking back at the girl unless she directly provoked him, Ward was not going to be so fortunate. All that had to happen was an opportune accident to put the boy out of action and Tom knew exactly when to strike.

A short time later he was with his Herbology class as they examined some of the roots that tended to be useful in potion making. The class had been moved outside for this very reason and they were quite near the field used for flying practice, a class that Ward Reynolds was attending at this time. Tom could see the boy as the second years practiced and heard the shouted insult as the class passed nearby. Tom and his class looked up as the boy went over head and then spurred speed out of his broom to get back to where he needed to be. He was not to make it.

Suddenly, the broom that the boy was on began to buck wildly as if it was intending to make him leave it. He screamed in terror as the broom began a series of loops, rolls and zoom climbs that were nearly vertical before rocketing back downwards towards the ground in very nearly the same attitude. To the professor who was managing the flying class, it looked as though Ward was showing off to the astounded class of first years below. He was about to shout to the boy when the broom suddenly took another terrifying dive that carried it into the top of a tree with incredible force.

The sounds of breaking branches sounded to the class that had watched the spectacle from below. Carried through the branches with terrible velocity the broom was suddenly rid of the boy who had been riding it and soared free up into the sky until it abruptly tumbled to the ground below. Ward, swept off of the broom by a branch, crashed downward through the tree to fall to the grassy soil below the oak. He lay there, bruised, bloody and silent as the first years, their professor and the members of his class hurried to his side.

When they reached the scene of his impact, the horrified first years tried to look away from the damage that had been done to their schoolmate and Molly turned her bury her head in Tom’s shoulder. She put her arms around him while she began to sob and Tom put his own around her to support and comfort her as he considered the crumpled form before them.

_‘It is too bad that broom did not hit a little harder and you were not a bit farther up!’_

Before long, the scene was crowded by the arrival of the nurse as well as Professor Dippet and another professor. The students were hustled away from the scene and none gave Tom more than a passing glance. Why would they, he had been on the ground and the other boy in the air? Tom couldn’t possibly have had anything to do with the accident; he hadn’t had a wand out and didn’t know enough to have affected the broom.

As the thoroughly shaken Herbology class walked back into the castle Tom realized that, even though he appeared innocent, he needed to be very careful with Professor Dumbledore around. The professor knew what he could do and the last thing that he wanted was to be put out of the school for misbehavior. He would appear very guilty to Professor Dumbledore because of the fight that he and Ward had had that day.

Professor Beery dismissed the students after they had gathered their belongings and they were soon sitting down in the Great Hall after an announcement was made that Headmaster Dippet wanted to address the school.

“Just a short time ago, one of our students was severely injured by a horrible accident during flying practice. Ward Reynolds of Hufflepuff House was the unfortunate victim of losing control of his broom while he was apparently showing off for other students and then crashed into a large tree. His injuries are extensive and he has already been sent to St. Mungo’s for treatment.”

“I must caution all of you that displaying acrobatics in the air for the benefit of impressing others is a practice that is best reserved for those who have a great many years of experience riding a broom. While the incident is being investigated there shall be no practice on the brooms and I would ask any who have information about this occurrence to come forward.”

“You are all dismissed until we reassemble here for dinner in a short while.”

Tom watched as the remainder of the student body rose to leave before he and his friends did the same. Abraxas Malfoy grinned broadly as he recounted the incident.

“Did you see the look on his face right before he hit that tree? It was almost as good as when he was hanging on for dear life while it was trying to throw him off! I would have given anything to have had a camera then!”

Alfred and William grinned in response to what Abraxas was saying, but Tom was busy trying to look annoyed as he realized that Molly was watching him while she waited by the door to the foyer. He parted from his friends and was soon at the side of the girl, who swiftly reached out to take his hand. They left the foyer to walk outside into the courtyard where other small groups were gathering to discuss what had happened.

“I’ve never seen anything more terrifying than what happened to Ward!”

“Yeah, I mean, I didn’t like him, but no one should have that happen to them. He could have been killed!”

“I heard Professor Dippet say that Ward had a lot of bones that were probably broken and maybe damage inside him.”

“They don’t think that he will die, do they?” Tom asked as he tried to appear concerned about the welfare of his rival for Molly’s attentions.

“I didn’t hear that part,” Molly replied before turning and looking into Tom’s eyes. “He could be hurt badly enough to die, couldn’t he?”

“He hit that tree really hard and then fell out of it from the top.”

Molly burst into tears as she buried her face against Tom’s robe covered shoulder once again. He put his arms around her as if trying to comfort her and was glad that she wasn’t looking into his eyes for fear of what she would have read in them. His friends and other boys watched from a distance as he held the highly desirable girl from Hufflepuff as they wondered how to get her away from Tom and into their arms.

Agatha also watched from the other side of the courtyard, she and her friends had spent their time in the Isolation Tower and their fury was undiminished. They were angry that the little Hufflepuff snip was in the arms of a boy that many girls in their House found attractive, even handsome. Clearly something needed to be done to remove Molly Porter from the picture and it had to be done swiftly.

“We need to catch her alone and give her a taste of what she will be getting more of if she does not stay away from him. Maybe a trip down some stairs would do the trick and convince her to steer clear of Tom Riddle.”

The other girls nodded before the group hurried back into the castle to plan their strike against the smaller girl.

Molly finally stepped away from the boy to look deep into his eyes. She saw no sign of deceit and mistook what she saw for concern for her well-being. Then she looked down at the ground to conceal her shame before looking up to speak to him again.

“I really don’t like Ward; I just wanted you to pay more attention to me, Tom. You have been spending more and more time with your friends and ignoring me. It hurt, Tom, and I didn’t know what else to do. I just had not counted on you boys getting into a fight, I’m sorry about the black eye that you got.”

“That’s okay, Molly, I’m sorry about ignoring you. Sometimes I just wanted to be with my friends and I didn’t think about your feelings.”

She stepped forward and then pressed her lips against those of the boy while around the courtyard other students watched, some with envy, others with glee at the spectacle and others with anger that the pair had not split.

When they finally parted after the kiss, the pair joined hands and walked back into the castle to settle down at a table in the Great Hall while they talked. Tom realized now that the girl was completely devoted to him and, as much as the thought hurt him, he also knew that she could be a valuable tool to use to get what he wanted. He felt a strange conflict within him as he considered how much he truly did care for the girl, far more than he had ever cared for anyone else, and yet he was prepared to sacrifice her in order to achieve his goals. For now he was content to play the game that she wanted to, but in the end he knew that Molly Porter was just as disposable as a piece of torn parchment.

He rose from where he was sitting when the students began to file in for the evening meal, but not before accepting the kiss that she offered. Tom Riddle walked back to the Slytherin table where he joined the group of boys that had been gravitating to him. Even older students were looking to him for leadership, nothing could have pleased him more, and they were forming a gang that other students took great pains to avoid. As the group sat together a set of eyes was trained upon them from the High Table.

Albus Dumbledore was concerned about the growing hold that the boy had on students who were drawn to him. These were students who could not afford to get into trouble, their marks were below standard and many had experienced run-ins with at least one professor. Yes, the boy had charisma and he was using it experience something that he never had before in his life, power over others. While Dumbledore had no doubt that the boy was responsible for the reign of terror that had troubled Wool’s Orphanage, Tom had never had a group of followers such as this.

A glance at Molly Porter revealed a soul in danger of being shattered by heartache when the inevitable happened and Tom Riddle shed her as he would a piece of refuse. Yes, Tom Riddle was brilliant in class and near the top of each class that he attended, but where he excelled was in the Defense against the Dark Arts class.  
Professor Lands was very pleased with Tom’s abilities and often crowed about the achievements of the boy although he did admit that the child had strange tendencies. While he portrayed himself as a loner and often shunned company while at the same time feigning compassion for others, especially Molly, he was surrounding himself with students who had better things to do than get themselves into trouble.

As the meal appeared in front of the children, Tom hurried to fill his plate before he started to eat. He kept up a lively conversation with his friends and noticeably ignored the longing glances that the girl he professed to care for was sending his way. The boy had a dark side to him and a thirst to learn all that he could in a very short time. He had the potential to teach one day, but a weakness in the consideration of others.

Tom looked up from his plate to see Professor Dumbledore watching him.

_‘I have to be more careful about things. It won’t do to have him looking into what I do. It’s time to start having some of the others do what I want them to do.’_

Dinner would pass quickly that evening and soon the students were walking back to their Houses to prepare for the night. Tom swiftly sought out Abraxas with a bit of “news” about a boy from Gryffindor that was making fun of Abraxas and talking about his white hair. Actually, the Gryffindor wasn’t saying a word about Malfoy, but he was having great sport as he traded information about things that Tom had done. Tom was very afraid that the information would reach Professor Dippet and that meant trouble far greater than losing points.

Abraxas was furious, he and the Gryffindor had been at odds since the start of the term and, since he had no reason to doubt what Tom was saying, he began to plan his revenge against the other boy. Lean, powerful and now filled with hatred, Abraxas Malfoy was a force to be reckoned with and soon the boy from Gryffindor would be dealing with more than he had considered.

The next morning, shortly before the start of classes, the Gryffindor boy was found in a bathroom nearly unconscious. He had obviously been attacked, though he could not recall who had struck him. Abraxas had enlisted the help of several other Slytherin boys and had dealt with a perceived slight against him. The boy would be very cautious about what he said after that and the threat against Tom ended before it had really begun. Tom was pleased by the news of the retaliation and very happy that none of it could be traced back to him. The members of his group were proving to be very useful and he wondered if they would be just as handy when the time came to strike against those who had wronged him in the Muggle world.

The days after the incident passed swiftly and before long they were approaching October. Tom felt nearly invincible with threat after threat soundly dealt with, especially with the news that Ward would not be returning to Hogwarts for quite a long while. His injuries were serious enough that the healers at St. Mungo’s wanted him to have an extended rest at home while he mended.

Molly, despite her apparent devotion to Tom, at times harbored suspicions about his potential involvement in “accidents” that troubled the members of Houses other than Slytherin. While there was no direct evidence that he had been present or even at fault with the many injuries that had occurred, the girl was hearing whispered rumors that she doubted she was supposed to hear. Many were afraid to speak when she was present for fear of the information getting back to Tom. None of the students realized that she too was questioning his innocence and wondering how long their relationship would last.

Tom, for his part, cared nothing about any of this. Things were going as he had planned and anyone who opposed him soon felt the pain of the error of their ways. He questioned Molly’s allegiance to him and knew that, sooner or later, she would also have to be dealt with. Once he had truly cared for the girl but the distance between them was growing and he knew that a split was coming. Then, she too would feel the pain that came to those who resisted him.

Albus Dumbledore considered the options open to him. He had no sure evidence that the boy was responsible for any of the things that had happened around the castle, only what he remembered from the conversation that he had carried on with Tom so many months ago while sitting in the bedroom that the boy had occupied in the orphanage. There was very little that he could do to prove Tom’s guilt and he wondered just how far the boy was willing to go.

_‘The Ministry and I may have made an error in believing that this child can be brought to a normal way of thinking. He harbors power and hatred that is far above anything that I have seen in many years and may prove to be a danger to us all, both here in Hogwarts and around our world.’_


	7. A Growing Void

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just when everything seems okay, the inevitable happens and Tom finds himself alone as Molly decides that enough is enough.

The sounds of footsteps in the battered blanket of snow echoed through the courtyard as students made their way back into the castle after some good hearted fun. What had been a pristine, smooth covering on the cobblestones was now marred with footprints, snow-angels and areas where students had landed during wrestling matches with their friends. A rousing snowball battle had raged until the children had been called in to begin classes for the day and more than one student was unhappy with the change in their day.

Tom sat down in his first class of the day and was swiftly joined by Molly, who had returned to her common room to gather her book and had just run back to the classroom. The girl was breathing heavily as she sat down in the seat that Tom had saved for her. Professor Dumbledore smiled at the girl, who had explained her temporary absence, and was already excusing her lateness.

“I just made it,” she said quickly while she attempted to catch her breath.

“At least Professor Dumbledore is easy to get along with. He likes you anyhow, you never cause problems.”

“He likes you, too.”

“Not as much as he likes you.”

“Miss Porter, Mister Riddle, class has commenced and I need your attention immediately.”

Both turned swiftly to see the professor towering over them as he stood next to where they were seated. Hushed whispers from other students sounded as they waited to see what would happen to two students who rarely were reprimanded. Finally, after a long moment, the professor turned back to the lesson at hand and the pair wondered for the remainder of class what repercussions would befall them.

When the class ended, Dumbledore dismissed the class and the pair stayed seated as the wizard watched their classmates leave the room. The door closed behind them and now the boy and girl faced the angered teacher.

“I rarely issue punishment as I would prefer to talk out differences, but this time I feel that I would be remiss if I fail to deal with you. Therefore, each of you shall serve detention with me tonight and I shall also take five points from your Houses.”

Tom remained staring stolidly ahead while the girl beside him began to sob quietly. Albus Dumbledore looked down at the pair for a moment and they wildly hoped that he would change his mind about the punishment. But instead he mere motioned at the door and it swung open to admit the waiting class beyond it as well as allow Tom and Molly to depart. The pair rose quickly and hurried out of the classroom to rush towards their next class.

The trip to the potions classroom had never seemed so long as the corridors seemed to grow in length while they traveled. Finally, however, they stood outside the door to their destination and then opened it to enter. Professor Slughorn looked up as the pair stepped silently into the room and then hurried to their workstation. He cast a disapproving gaze at them, but knew the reason that they were tardy and let them begin their work without interference.

“Now that we are all present, I shall expect you to pick up where you left off yesterday. As the potions have been brewing for several hours you shall find that they should have the consistency of pudding and they should be a pale orange in color. If either of these qualities is not in evidence there is a mistake in your mixture and you need to call me to your station in order to try to salvage the potion. There should also be a slight honeysuckle odor about your potion, if you can detect the aroma of peppermint your potion has soured and will need to be disposed of.”

Molly and Tom looked down into their cauldrons and were pleased to see the proper appearance of the thick liquid. A sweet aroma filled the atmosphere around them and they swiftly looked at their texts for the next ingredient and instruction. Molly swiftly picked up a root that was laying on the table and began to slice it into small pieces which were soon being diced even smaller before being added to the brew. The girl was rewarded with a slight poof and her potion turning a brilliant emerald green.

Professor Slughorn, aware of progress, walked swiftly to the girl’s side to gaze into the bubbling mixture. He smiled broadly as he surveyed her success and then announced it to the class.

“Class, Miss Porter has managed to produce a very satisfactory potion and you would all do well to emulate her product. The size of the pieces of root is the key; pieces that are too large will not produce the proper effect and will actually cause the potion to immediately coagulate into a rather solid mass that is devilishly hard to remove from the cauldron.”

A moment later, a rather large poof sounded across the room and Horace Slughorn hurried to the side of Abraxas Malfoy to see a large lump of goo sitting in the bottom of the boy’s cauldron. He fixed the boy with an angry stare before speaking to him.

“Totally unacceptable, Mister Malfoy, not only will you be resorting to some rather Muggle methods to remove that from your cauldron but you shall also be responsible for producing a proper potion in detention. It may take you a night or two, but perhaps then you shall pay closer attention in class!”

Another loud poof sounded and a swift glance in the direction of William Crabbe proved that he too had failed miserably in his attempts. He too was soon getting the terrible news that he would also be resorting to digging the goo out of his cauldron and having to spend several nights in detention producing a proper mixture.

Tom held his breath as he introduced diced roots into the hot mixture in his cauldron. A moment later a mild poof sounded and the orange liquid was replaced with a one of brilliant emerald hue. Professor Slughorn, drawn by the sound, was immediately at Tom’s side and looking into the cauldron where the boy had been working. He smiled broadly before slapping the boy on the back and moving on to the next student while issuing instructions to those who had managed to complete the assignment correctly.

“You will now decant the mixture into the provided flasks using the method that I taught you. It may surprise you to find that even though the potion was just boiling hot you can now safely put your hand into it. The most that might happen is that your fingernails will be spotlessly clean when they emerge. We use this potion to clean the many windows here in the castle and it is extremely effective.”

The announcement was interrupted by a loud bang and all heads swiftly turned in that direction to see Alfred Goyle covered from head to toe with a horrible smelling crust. Professor Slughorn stalked towards the boy and then the rest of the class prepared for what came next.

“Mister Goyle, of all of the dim-witted, bungling attempts that I have ever seen in all of my many years of teaching potions this one has to be the worst! Not only have you managed to fail the assignment you have also created a mess that shall require several hours on your part to clean, using the most Muggle-like implements that I can find. I should imagine that cleaning that mess out of this stone shall take quite a bit of effort on your part and it shall not be finished until I am satisfied with the results. You shall remain after the rest of the class is dismissed to begin cleaning up after yourself.”

The professor turned to see flasks filling rapidly and smiled at the progress that was being made. When the children finished emptying their cauldrons they watched as the metal was cleaned magically and then the cauldrons vanished to reappear in the place where they were stored. Minutes later, the children were hurrying out of the room while the three hapless students listened unhappily to what their sentence was.

“I wish that Potions wasn’t at the bottom of the castle and Defense against the Dark Arts at the top of a tower,” Molly exclaimed as they climbed the seemingly endless stairs to their destination. They were winded as always when they arrived in the classroom of Professor Lands.

Professor Jacob Lands watched as the diminished class entered his room and swiftly found their seats to find parchments on the desks before them. Many of them, Tom included, moaned as they realized that the professor had prepared a surprise exam for them.

“You shall have twenty minutes to examine your notes before we begin the exam. I suggest that you get started now.”

Students hurriedly pulled notes out of their bags and began to look them over as the professor turned a large hour glass over to allow the sand within to begin its downward journey. After what seemed like only five minutes the hourglass turned into a crowing rooster to announce that their cramming time was up. Their notes vanished and a quill appeared in front of them while the exam questions began to materialize on the parchments.

Abraxas, Alfred and William hurried into the room to find only places at the front of the room available. They trudged forward and sat down to groan as they noticed the parchments before them.

“You have only a few minutes to study before you need to start the exam, gentlemen. I would think that you wouldn’t want to waste any more time than you have.”

Tom was too busy working on his exam to pay attention to the plight of the other boys. He was grateful that he had at least paid attention in class and was familiar with the material that they were being examined on. Professor Lands had produced a dreadfully difficult test for his students and groans sounded frequently as students found themselves facing questions that they were unprepared for.

When the time ended, too soon for many, the parchments vanished and all knew that they were in the hands of fate. They looked up to see the reading assignment on the board at the front of the room as well as the writing assignment that went with it.

“The assignment shall be due at the beginning of class tomorrow; I expect two full pages of parchment on the material, and no huge writing to take up more space, Mister Goyle,” Professor Lands announced as he fixed the boy with a glare before turning back to his class.“ You may use the remainder of class to begin reading the passages that I have assigned. I suggest that you get started as this passage is rather lengthy.”

A series of muffled comments of displeasure sounded as students opened their books and began to read. Some immediately pulled out their quills and began to write while others concentrated on the reading. The children paid attention to their assignment while the professor walked silently between the rows of desks and were distracted when the silence was interrupted.

“Mister Goyle! I expect you to use this time to complete your work not draw pictures on your parchment. Five points shall be taken from Slytherin House for your open defiance.”

Groans sounded from other Slytherin scattered around the room as they realized that the House Cup had moved farther from their grasp. Although he made effort not to show it, Tom was angry at Professor Lands for taking points from them.

_‘That was totally uncalled for! Taking points for drawing a picture! Who ever heard of such a thing? But then, these professors are all mental and should be in St. Mungo’s. Maybe then we would get some proper teaching because we are never going to learn anything at the rate we are moving.’_

Suddenly, a large window in the room exploded outward as Tom’s anger swelled. Startled by the shattering glass students screamed and rushed away from the newly formed void in the wall as the wind whipped pieces of parchment around the room. Professor Lands calmly drew his wand and cast a spell at the damaged glass.

“ _Reparo!_ ”

The amazed first years watched as the glass reassembled itself in the frame and then began to retake their seats. The professor stepped back to the front of the room as he surveyed the faces of the children. One of them had done it, probably unintentionally, but one of them was responsible and he wanted to know who.

“I wish to know which of you is responsible for that. I am not angry as I am aware that it was probably not done on purpose, but I would like to know just the same.”

When no hands rose and no student stood to take responsibility Professor Lands shrugged his shoulders and appeared to surrender to their silence. None of the students was prepared or even aware of what the next step in the mind of the professor was. Jacob Lands was an accomplished Legilimens, a talent that had served him well during the brief time that he had spent as an Auror. He began to walk with his slow, even stride between the rows of desks as he touched upon each young mind in the room. Many of the minds were consumed with the desire to be out of class and doing things that were less than productive. Others were so thick headed that the only thing that came to him were dull thoughts about how to avoid work. He was nearly to the seat occupied by Molly Porter that he encountered something that he had never expected, a mind so disciplined and maintained that he could not find a chink in its armor. He paused for a moment and looked down, not at the girl but at the boy sitting next to her.

Tom looked up at the professor who was standing next to Molly and noticed the strange look in Professor Land’s eyes. The boy had the impression that the professor was aware of what he had done to the window pane and also the strange feeling of something attempting, quite uninvited, to sift through his thoughts. The gaze that the professor was offering was met by the steely glare of the boy and each knew what the other was thinking.

The rest of the class fell silent as each in the pair looked deep into the eyes of the other and only the chime of the bell in the tower broke the contest of wills. Students hurried to gather their things and race from the room, Molly among them, while Tom remained in his seat.

“You know, don’t you?” Tom finally said when they were the only people in the room.

“Yes, I know, and I stand by my statement that I am not angry about it. I just wish that you would have spoken up, Tom. There is no harm done, the window is repaired, and you need to move on to the mid-day meal. Run along now, before you lose your favored seat at the table and I would also wager that you do not wish to keep young Miss Porter waiting.”

Tom responded with a curt nod and hurried to gather his things before rushing out of the room. Jacob Lands stood where he had been as he looked back down at the seat that the boy had just occupied. Then and only then did he speak again, this time to himself.

“Yes, Tom Riddle, I know.”

Molly was standing at the foot of the winding stairs while she waited for Tom. Although she would not admit it Tom was becoming increasingly frightening to her. The seeming distance between them often felt incredible and she wondered just how much longer their relationship could survive. There was no doubt in her mind that Tom was responsible for what had happened to the window and that gave her cause to wonder just what else he was responsible for. His approach broke her out of her thoughts and she fell into step with him as they walked towards the Great Hall in near silence.

“Tom, are you okay?” she asked hopefully.

The stony gaze of the boy never wavered as he walked down the corridor and ignored her query.

“Are you angry with me, Tom?”

If Molly had hoped for a response she was once again disappointed as the boy continued his fast walk in silence. Molly stopped where she stood and watched as his stride continued without hesitation. As he vanished around a corner she noticed that he had never looked back to determine why she had faltered in her accompaniment of him. Quietly the girl sat down on a nearby bench and began to sob as she realized that, no matter what he said, there was no hope of a reciprocation of her love for him. It was over.

Tom arrived at the Great Hall and walked towards his normal seat, never once looking back to see if the girl was watching him. She was becoming boring and, at times, a crybaby, sobbing when he didn’t talk to her like she had hoped. He was furious about the incident in the classroom far above and wondered just how much Professor Lands did know about his thoughts.

“Tom,” a voice said as it broke into his thoughts. He turned in irritation towards Abraxas Malfoy, who had been trying to get his attention.

“What do you want?”

“I am just wondering what you did with Molly? She didn’t come in with you the way that she normally does.”

It was then that Tom realized that Molly was nowhere to be seen, the spot that she normally occupied on the bench was empty. He looked up and down the length of the table occupied by Hufflepuff House and understood that the girl was not present. Professor Dippet entered the room and he knew that it was too late to hurry out of the room to find the girl and wondered just what she was thinking. The mid-day meal would be full of uncertainty for the boy as he pondered the reason for her absence.

Molly had returned to the Hufflepuff Common Room and was now sitting silently in an overstuffed chair while she thought about the developments of the day.

_‘I have been such a dolt, thinking that he actually cares about me. He is just as bad as those gits that he calls his best friends, callous, cruel and self-serving. I’m done with him! He can figure out how to pass the classes without my help, if it had not been for me he would be down in Professor Slughorn’s classroom digging the potion out of his cauldron. He certainly would not be getting the marks that he is in Charms without my help.’_

She sat in silence and finally drifted off to sleep in the chair as the mid-day meal ended and Tom made his way to Professor Flitwick’s classroom. As he entered the room Tom could see no sign of Molly and even after the tiny professor had closed the door behind the last late arrival the seat next to him remained empty. Filius Flitwick looked around the room and was shocked to see that one of the most determined members of the first year class was not present. Molly Porter never missed class and usually was one of the first to arrive.

“You all need to continue to prepare for the exam that will take place before we begin Winter Break. Failing that exam will certainly fail you at the mid-term, and that will make passing the term very difficult.”

When that class finally ended, Tom raced to the room where they studied and was stunned to find the seat that Molly normally sat at empty. He sullenly sat down at his assigned place and often found himself glancing at the worn wood of the seat that the girl normally graced. Somewhere in his mind he knew that the girl had finished with him and that reclaiming what he had enjoyed with her would be nearly impossible.

Molly would remain in the Hufflepuff Common Room for the remainder of the day, only emerging to walk down to the Great Hall to eat at dinner time. Tom felt a leap of excitement and hope as he watched her walk into the room with a number of her friends, but it was a hope that swiftly died when the girl failed to even glance in his direction. Instead she sat, laughing and talking with her Housemates, with her back to him and, once the meal was over, she hurried to leave the Great Hall with her friends even though he had rushed to try to intercept her to talk to her.

As she swept out of the room he ran up behind her and grabbed her arm. Her eyes filled with fury she turned on the boy who, until only a few hours before, had been the center of her life.

“What do you want, Tom?”

“Are you angry with me, Molly?”

“It is strange that you should ask the very question that I asked you this afternoon, but the difference is that I am going to answer you. I tried to talk to you and all that I got was silence, and that is something that I have been getting with increasing frequency from you. You are more interested in dawdling about with the dolts that you call friends and I will have none of it! I have had it with you and your self-serving attitude and I really just want you to leave me alone. We are finished, Tom Riddle, and I want you to stay away from me.”

The boy stood frozen with disbelief as the girl whirled on her heel and hurried away to rejoin the friends that she had left the Great Hall with. He had no way of seeing the tears that were flowing down her face and could only watch as she vanished in the distance.

“What’s she on about?”

He turned to see his friends behind him; they had also witnessed the explosion and secretly hoped that they would have an opportunity with Molly now that the girl and Tom were split. Tom felt confused, hurt and angry all at the same time, but he also felt relief. Now he didn’t have to worry about what Molly thought of his plots and deeds. She had actually done him a favor and now could be discarded as she had ended her usefulness. Just the same, however, Tom hated to lose and now the girl would face the same dangers as everyone else.

He walked down the stairs with the rest of Slytherin House, speaking to no one. Many in the group wondered what he was thinking and several would have been shocked had they known. Only Tom was privy to the dark thoughts in his mind and too soon they would be known to all.

_‘You think that you are free of me, Molly Porter, you are no different and are no safer than Amy was in the orphanage. It will not be long before you find out just how large a mistake you have just made!’_

Both of the children fell asleep that night one thinking that he knew what was coming, but actually neither of them could have foreseen what lay in the future.


	8. Conflict and Catastrophe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A fight with another student at Hogwarts earns Tom discipline there and after he returns to London for the Holiday Break he finds that not much has changed at all at Wool's Orphanage.

Molly Porter watched as her trunk was packed and then the lid closed by itself before she put her wand away. Very soon she would be on the Hogwarts Express on the return trip to King’s Cross and then on to Cambridge with her parents. She was looking forward to the trip because this time she would be riding on the Hufflepuff car and would not have to deal with Tom Riddle.

The pair hadn’t spoken in several days and she had requested that she no longer be paired with him in classes. Aware that the pair was arguing, the professors had been accommodating and she was now working with a girl who was less proficient than Tom was but far more pleasant.

For his part, Tom could only glare at the girl from a distance. He had considered many times having one of his allies strike at her but something kept him from doing that. As angry as he was with her and as happy as he was to be free of the fetters that his relationship with her had created, he still cared for her in a strange way. His feelings for her easily surpassed the feelings that he had held for the toy truck at the orphanage and the hurt that he had felt when the girl had closed herself to him rivaled the pain that he had felt when the truck had been severely damaged by Billy.

He watched as his own bag closed and knew that soon he would be on his way back to the orphanage to spend the holiday there with the other children. His room had been kept for him, that much he was certain of as Mrs. Cole had told him that it would be ready when he returned. He hated the thought of leaving Hogwarts and having to wear old clothing once again. At least his Muggle clothing was in good repair thanks to the spell that Professor Dumbledore had used on it to repair it and Tom himself had used a spell to clean it.

The boy, like his classmates, was becoming more adept with each passing day with simple spells and charms. They had, for the most part, managed to master tasks that had impressed their professors although there were exceptions by the names of Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle. Of the three boys Abraxas Malfoy was the most capable with the other two lagging behind him clearly at the bottom of their class.

When the task was ended Tom put his wand back into his robes and then hurried to make his way to the Great Hall for the feast before they boarded the Hogwarts Express. He entered the Great Hall to see that Molly still had not arrived although there were very few students who had not entered yet an as he looked down the corridor he could see the girl in the distance.

When she arrived at the doorway to the Great Hall Molly ignored the boy who had been waiting for her and proceeded to the table where she normally sat. Tom could only watch as she talked with her Housemates and then he was suddenly furious when an older Hufflepuff boy walked up to the girl and kissed her gently on the cheek. Molly looked up at the boy with a smile on her face before she leaned forward to return the kiss that he had given her. It was obvious to Tom that the couple knew that he was watching them and that they were enjoying the discomfort that it was causing.

“I see that Molly has moved on without you, Tom. You aren’t going to stand for that are you?”

Tom turned to see Abraxas Malfoy looking at him and several other Slytherin students who were also watching to see what his reaction would be. The boy had become rather brash with his boasts that the girl belonged to him and that any other boy who paid her some attention was in for a thrashing from him. Now it seemed that they were waiting for him to make good on his threats. Tom rose from the table where he had been sitting and strode briskly towards the couple while conversation in the Great Hall lowered to a near whisper as all eyes watched to see what was going to occur when the boy reached his destination.

Molly was the first to see him and her face blanched as she realized that trouble was coming while Thomas Cowell had no idea that he was being approached. The older boy caught the look in the eyes of the girl and looked up from her to see the smaller Slytherin on a direct course towards him. He moved away from the girl as he started in Tom’s direction to intercept him. The boys met in the middle of the aisle as the confrontation began

“Stay away from her, Thomas!”

“Why should I do a thing like that? Am I supposed to be frightened of you? Maybe you’re forgetting that I’m bigger and know a bit more than you and, at any rate, I heard that you and she had broken up and that makes her available to anyone who wants to treat her better than you ever did.”

“Stay away from her!”

“Make me, Tommy!”

Without thinking about the difference in size Tom lashed out with his fist and was satisfied when his attack struck the older boy in the jaw, but he hadn’t counted on the response. The older and larger boy struck back with a blow that spun Tom around and dazed him. He was still trying to rally when the larger boy struck again with a blow that shoved Tom to the floor. Students at the tables in the vicinity scrambled to get out of the way as Tom lashed out to kick Thomas in the shins with enough force to fell the older boy. A second kick hit the Hufflepuff in the face, causing him to recoil as several teeth were damaged.

As the gathered children surrounded the fight and cheered on their favorites Tom realized that the fight was going against him after they had risen and Thomas hit him several times in the face. Staggered, Tom fell backwards as blow after blow rained down upon him and he had no time to think about anything but trying to remain in the contest.

Abruptly the gathered crowd around them parted as Professor Dumbledore and several Prefects rushed into the fray. Tom felt a firm hand drop onto his shoulder and he was abruptly being propelled towards the door of the chamber by Albus Dumbledore while the other boy was escorted by Professor Lands. The trip to Professor Dippet’s office would be short as the headmaster met them in the corridor and they abruptly appeared in his office far above the scene of the battle.

Armando Dippet wasn’t a large man and, in fact, was seen by many as rather frail physically, but now he seemed a giant as his anger boiled over at the boys standing before him.

“In all of my years here at Hogwarts I have never seen such a display as I just witnessed in the Great Hall. To see two students flailing at each other like Muggle ruffians is quite distressing, especially right before they were to get onto the Hogwarts Express for the trip home. Now, I do not care why this happened, but I do care that it happened and I will not tolerate it.”

“Both of you shall have a letter of reprimand put into your file and an owl will be sent to your home Mister Cowell. Mister Riddle, as your parents are deceased and you reside in a Muggle home I shall not send an owl to them, but you shall face the same punishment as Mister Cowell. Therefore, when you return from the holiday break both of you shall serve time in isolation as well as detention. The length of that time shall be no less than ten days, during which time you shall be in the Isolation Tower together! If there are any further issues between you I shall begin expulsion proceedings against you and put you out of this castle forever. Am I understood?”

“Yes, Professor Dippet,” was the response from both boys.

“Now, you are both to go with Professor Dumbledore, he has something for you to do to keep your minds occupied while you wait to board the train. Now go!”

Both boys abruptly found themselves in the classroom of Albus Dumbledore and the wizard that had accompanied them immediately directed them to seats on at a single desk so that they were seated side by side. Parchment appeared before them as well as quills, it was only then that a sentence appeared at the top of the page with instructions to copy it until they left to make the trip to Hogsmeade Station.

While he wrote, Tom glanced up occasionally to look at the professor who had returned to his desk. The wizard was pointedly ignoring the boy and Tom realized that, not only had he gotten into a fight which he had lost, he had severely disappointed and angered the person who had sponsored him to attend school here.

The boys would write continuously for over an hour before the parchments vanished along with the quills.

“I trust that you both know your way to the Entry Foyer and then on down to Hogsmeade.”

The boys rose and walked out of the classroom to make their way through the castle to join the line of students who were walking to where the carriages would take them to the station. Tom could only watch as Thomas joined Molly in the walk to the waiting area and seethed as the girl kissed the boy and then ran her hand over the bruise on his cheek.

“You aren’t going to let it go that easy are you, Tom?”

The shadows of Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle drifted onto the ground around him as his friends stepped up beside him.

“I will deal with them both, maybe not now, but they will both pay for this.”

Less than a half an hour later all of the students were on the train and it was pulling away from the station. The students could look out through the windows to see the staff waving to them as the Hogwarts Express gathered speed and began to the journey to take the children to their homes.

 _‘Home?'_ Tom thought to himself as he stared out through the window of his compartment.  _'What home? They all get to go to stay with their parents while I get to go back to that damned orphanage. They could have let me stay at the castle; they just did not want me anymore than those at the orphanage did. They got stuck with me, and that is the only reason that I have to go back to Mrs. Cole and her staff of inept fools.’_

The train ride back to London and King’s Cross would seem to fly and it was not long before Tom was stepping out onto Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. He reached into his pocket to find the ticket back to Hogwarts that he would use when break was over. Glancing again down at the Muggle clothing that he wore he reached down to pick the bag that contained what he had brought with him and then joined the line of students and parents waiting to go through the portal and out into the station proper.

From where he stood he could only watch as Molly and Thomas kissed once more before the girl was herded through the portal by her parents. Then Thomas vanished with his father and Tom remained in line, only able to watch as child after child was reunited with their parent or family members. He was the only one who was totally alone and something inside him seemed to fester as the anger swelled at his situation.

When his turn came he hurried through the portal and was soon trying to make his way through the throng of travelers that were hurrying to and fro as they tried to get to their destination on time. Finally, he managed to get out of the station and out onto the streets of London for the walk to the orphanage.

As he walked through familiar streets he became aware of how mundane they appeared. Before he had gone to Hogwarts he had, at times, been mildly frightened of some of the residents of the city. Now he could walk through the filthy byways confident in his ability to defend himself if he needed to. He didn’t need the wand that lay on his night table back in Hogwarts. He could do plenty without it.

The state of his clothing helped too as they were clean and in good repair. They made him feel better about himself and he wondered how he would be received by the other children at Wool’s Orphanage. Not that he cared, none of them could do anything that made him afraid.

Increasingly familiar surroundings came into view and he knew that he was nearly to his destination. He had been walking for nearly an hour and his feet were getting tired when he finally saw the building next to the orphanage. He turned down the side street and saw the building that he had grown up in. No one was in the courtyard and, in fact, there was no sign of life at all except for the smoke that rose from the chimneys. He pushed the gate open and then stepped into the courtyard before crossing it and walking up the steps to the front door. Taking a deep breath, he turned the doorknob and pushed the door open before stepping into the wide hall that led into the heart of the structure.

Memories came flooding back as he took in the familiar surroundings and heard voices that he had never forgotten. He turned and walked up the stairs to find the door to his room closed, a sign on it bearing his name. Reaching forth, he grasped the knob of the door to turn it and then he pushed it open to reveal the room. Everything appeared as he had left it, except for the fact that obviously Martha had given it a cleaning and had put fresh sheets and a clean blanket on the bed. He stepped into the room and then closed the door behind him before turning to the cupboard and opening its door. Quickly he opened his bag and began to place his clothing into the compartment.

One thing that Hogwarts had taught him was the necessity of neatness and the clothes were soon neatly placed where they belonged. He pulled several books out of the bag and laid them in the top shelf of the cabinet before closing the door. He actually hated the books as they were Muggle books, the pictures stayed the same at all times and exhibited no movement whatsoever, and they had become very mundane to him.

A light knock at the door caught his attention and he turned to it before answering. The door opened and Martha stepped into the room to look him over.

“I thought that I had seen you, Tom. The school that you go to now seems to be agreeing with you because you look wonderful. You have definitely filled out so they must be feeding you well. I am so happy to see you and that you are well.”

“I am happy to see you too, Martha.”

“Well, because we knew that you would be returning today Mrs. Cole told me to make your favorite for dinner tonight, so Pot Roast it is. Do you have any laundry that needs to be tended to?”

“No, Martha, everything is quite clean.”

“I wanted to see that you had everything that you need. I made certain to put fresh sheets on your bed and a clean blanket. Not much has changed here except that Benjamin has left to go to a family member who wanted him. Everyone else is still here and there are two new arrivals, two girls who are sisters, but I doubt that you will spend much time with them.”

“How has everyone reacted to me coming back to the orphanage?”

“Amy and Dennis are apprehensive about you, Tom. They still will not talk about what ever happened in the cave and break into tears when it is mentioned.”

“I do not understand that, Martha, all that happened was they encountered me in the darkness and there was a dead rabbit lying on the floor where something had left it. They found the rabbit and were running from it when I ran into them. They got frightened and ran out crying, that is all.”

“Children can be strange, Tom, and they can imagine things that they do not actually see. Mrs. Cole wanted me to tell you that she wants to see you as soon as you are settled. She will be waiting in her office for you. You might want to hurry, Tom. She is in a bit of a state and has been rather short with everyone.”

Tom nodded and then left the room with Martha. They talked quietly as they walked down the stairs and then the hallway until they reached the door to the matron’s office. There, Martha knocked quietly before opening the door and announcing him. Then Tom stepped through the opened door and into the office of Mrs. Cole.

He glanced around the room before sitting down in the chair that the woman behind the desk indicated without speaking. Once he was settled the pair took stock of each other before the woman finally broke the silence created by the closing of the door behind the boy.

“Tom, it is good to see you.”

“It is good to see you, Mrs. Cole.”

“Well, I do not know anything about this school, but at least they seem to have taught you manners. You look like the school has agreed with you although I have to wonder about the state of your face. Have you been in a fight, Tom?”

“Yes, ma’am, I had a disagreement with another boy this very morning.”

“And will you be punished for this disagreement?”

“Yes, Mrs. Cole, I have already been told what my punishment shall be when I return to school.”

“And when shall you be returning to this school?”

“I shall return to school on the thirty first of this month.”

“And you have transportation back to this school?”

“Yes, ma’am, they have provided transportation.”

“Very well, I suppose that you must stay here although I have to question your return. I was under the assumption that as a boarding school you would be remaining there during break.”

“No, ma’am, I shall have to return during every break including at the end of the term.”

Mrs. Cole took in a deep breath before continuing and Tom found himself wishing that the line of questioning would end. Finally, the woman sighed deeply and then motioned him to the door of her office. Tom understood then that he was being allowed to remain only against her judgement. He rose and walked to the door only to stop when the matron said his name. He turned back to the woman behind the desk as she uttered the last few words of the meeting.

“Tom, I want you to understand that if at all possible I shall arrange for you to stay elsewhere any time that you have a break from school. As you are here and there is nothing that I can do about it but be aware that I shall not tolerate any trouble with any of the other children or thefts of property. Any occurrences shall be turned over to the authorities and dealt with harshly. Am I understood?”

“Yes, ma’am, Mrs. Cole, you are understood.”

“Then go!”

Tom opened the door and then stepped back out into the hallway to return to his room at the top of the stairs. He closed the door behind him and then crossed the room to pull out the chair and sit down on it as he stared out through the window.

_‘She thinks that I am frightened of her, well, I will show her who is frightened of whom. You have just made an incredible mistake by threatening me, Mrs. Cole, and you are going to regret it!’_

None of the residents of Wool’s Orphanage had any idea of how dangerous Tom had become or what he was capable of. Although the boy knew that he had to be very careful about how he used his abilities, lest the Ministry of Magic get involved, he also knew that he had nothing to fear from any of the residents of the building and that he could have some fun at their expense.

It was going to be a long holiday for the children and staff at Wool’s Orphanage and one that they would never forget.


	9. Condemnation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Old habits die hard and for Tom Riddle, an inexperienced and impulsive wizard, life in a Muggle world even for a short time can be difficult.

Billy Stubbs lay at the bottom of the stairs that he had just fallen down as a group began to gather around the child. Tom was among those standing around Billy as Martha examined him. He was trying to look concerned about the welfare of the other child and hoped that the ruse was successful. As he had been talking to Martha when Billy had fallen there was no chance that he could be blamed for the mishap and nothing could make him happier.

Since he had returned to the orphanage he had managed to test the waters and pull a few pranks on the unsuspecting residents of the building. He knew that he had to be careful as Professor Dumbledore had warned him about the use of magic outside of school and the consequences that could arise should he do so.

As he watched Martha help Billy to his feet, Tom was amazed at the ease he had experienced in arranging the little “accident” for the boy. Before he had started attending Hogwarts Tom had found that he had had to concentrate hard to make things happen, but now it was relatively easy to do so. He didn’t even need the wand that he had left at Hogwarts to do some of the things that he wanted. A simple thought was all that was required and the deed was done.

Billy was soon in the office of Mrs. Cole and the door was closed which left many of the children to their own devices. Tom thought about leaving the building and walking to the shop where the candy had been purloined so many months before. Memories of the shelves falling and candy filling his pocket dominated his mind, as did the thought of nearly being nicked by the officer who had entered the shop. It had all turned out well until the owner of the shop had come to the door of the orphanage to recover what had been taken. Tom could still see the covered body on the courtyard ground after the man had died a mysterious death that was no mystery to the boy.

The thought about leaving was dispelled as Mrs. Cole’s office door opened and the matron stepped out into the hallway to shoo the children on to their tasks. Tom was grateful about the fact that he didn’t have to worry much about the lessons that the children had to endure. A bit if concentration had given Mrs. Cole the impression that the boy did not need to attend class with his peers as he had already covered the material at school. The matron had been confused at first until Tom had pushed a little harder, something that gave Mrs. Cole an incredible headache.

He watched as the children filed into the classroom, followed by Mrs. Cole, and the door closed behind them. As he listened, he could hear the lessons begin and he smiled to himself as he walked back up the stairs to his room. While he ascended the stairs, his mind drifted back to Molly Porter, the one thing that he had ever cared about as much as the toy truck that still lay concealed in the cabinet in his room.

Despite their argument in the corridor outside the Great Hall, Tom still had some semblance of feelings for the girl. True, her absence freed him from the constraints that she had represented, but he missed her presence already. Molly Porter had represented a kindness that he had never experienced before and now she no longer wished for him to be around. What he feared the most when they returned to Hogwarts after the holiday was the probability of seeing her with another boy and he wasn’t certain that he could control what would happen then.

One thing that he was certain of, despite his initial angry thoughts, was the fact that he could never bring himself to harm the girl. Memories of her brown eyes warmed his being as he thought back to the way that he had felt when he had looked into them. He also remembered the hurt and then rage when he had looked into them last and realized that her will was probably as strong as his.

He entered his room and sat down on the bed to look at a book that he had “borrowed” from another student during the ride home on the train. Although he doubted that suspicion would fall on him, he fully intended to leave the item on the train when he returned to school. It would have to be tucked down beside something to make it appear as though it had fallen there and been missed.

Tom smiled as he looked at the book with its pictures that moved. Muggle books had no fascination to him now and he wanted to avoid them as much as possible during break. The sound of knocking at his door made him jump and he jammed the book under his pillow just as Martha opened the door.

“Tom, I need to do some shopping and wondered if you would want to come with me.”

“I will be right down. I just need to get my coat.”

“I shall see you there, but be certain to dress for the weather. It is getting frightfully cold out there.”

He watched as she turned and then closed the door behind her before grabbing the book and hurrying to his cabinet. A moment later, the truck saw daylight again as the board that concealed it was lifted and the book carefully placed in the cavity beside it. He put the board back into place and watched as the nails sank back down to hold it tightly. There was now no chance that the hidden objects would be found by anyone who decided to snoop.

Pulling his jacket off of the hook that it occupied, he hurried down the stairs to see Martha waiting for him at the door. She smiled at the boy as he arrived at her side and then opened the front door so that they could go on their way.

They had soon crossed the courtyard and were walking towards the shop while Martha talked to him.

“Do you like your school, Tom?”

“It is incredible, Martha, I have learned so much from the professors there.”

“Well, they certainly seem to have made an impression on you. You are such a polite young man now and I could not be happier. That rather cold child that left here to go to school must have gone forever because I see no sign of him now. This morning, when Billy fell down the stairs, you actually were at his side before I was.”

“It frightened me, Martha. They have taught me to care about other people and I have taken the lessons to heart. I know that what I did in the past was wrong, such as stealing from others, and I have no intention of repeating my actions.”

The boy was satisfied as he watched the woman nod while she listened to what he was saying. He had been afraid that she would see through him, but she seemed entirely convinced by him. It actually almost hurt Tom to lie to Martha. She had been his one source of comfort at the orphanage while other people had made him feel unwanted.

They continued their trip to the shop, Tom pulling the wagon behind him, and talked about Tom’s school. He was careful to not let any details about the school escape, telling her that it was a boarding school where bright children learned from accomplished masters. Lie after lie piled up as he wove a story about the school and his growing importance there. His marks were stellar and he never once had been reprimanded by the professors or headmaster and Martha seemed to accept it all as the truth.

While the boy talked, he had no idea that Martha suspected some of what he was telling her was untrue. The seed of doubt had been planted when his thefts had been revealed before he left to go to school and, with no way to check what he was telling her, she tended to not believe all that he was saying to her.

The shop appeared before them and they were soon entering the structure that Tom remembered so well. He could see the shelves that had fallen to cover his crimes and the rest of the shop looked the same as well. But what he didn’t like was the fact that the jars that the candy was held in now rested on a shelf behind the counter. There was no way to get to them without being noticed.

He watched as the shopkeeper approached and then as Martha handed the man the list that she needed filled. A boy a few years older than Tom stepped forward to take instructions from his employer and then walked towards the back of the store to begin carrying the sacks of food that was required toward the front of the shop. Tom remembered that soon the boy would carry the sacks out to the wagon that he had pulled from the orphanage and, once the wagon was filled, Martha and he would begin the trip home. He cast a longing glance at the jars of candy before following Martha around the interior of the shop while she pulled jars from the shelves and placed them in the basket that she carried.

When the shopping finally ended, he walked with Martha to the counter and watched as she handed him the piece of paper that always changed hands. Then she looked down at Tom and smiled at him.

“Would you like a piece of candy, Tom?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said as his expression brightened despite the gloom outside which foretold bad weather coming in.

A moment later, he was popping the piece of candy into his mouth as the transaction ended and he joined Martha in carrying their parcels out to the wagon. The woman carefully placed the items into the wagon as Tom lifted the arm to pull the vehicle home.

As they walked, Tom realized that the wagon was heavier than normal. Martha had obviously done her shopping for the holiday meal and intended to fill the shelves in her pantry. The mouth of the boy watered as he remembered that Martha always served ham at the Christmas meal and he loved ham. They talked quietly down the street and very soon were stopping outside the shop of the butcher where Martha bade him to stop while she went in to get what had been ordered.

He watched as she vanished into the building and then whirled as a voice he remembered called out to him and a rock sailed harmlessly past his head. As he turned he could see the boys that had given him such grief about the toy truck so long before.

“Oi, Jimmy, look who’s here, it’s that filthy bastard from the orphanage!”

"Ave you figured out who yer father is? Or is he too ashamed to admit that yer his?”

Tom stood silently as the boys hurled insults at him and it was when the larger of the two boys stooped, picked up some horse droppings from a nearby pile and then hurled them at him that he responded without thinking. The boys suddenly were picked up and thrown several yards through the air to land on the street behind them. Uncertain about what had happened, the boys lay there stunned for a moment before they were abruptly assailed by a cloud of horse droppings from a nearby pile that a worker had been gathering. Astounded passersby watched in disbelief as the manure struck the boys again and again until they were soiled heavily by the refuse. They managed to climb to their feet and then ran from the scene, crying as they went, while a crowd gathered around the scene of the activity.

Tom stood stock still as he realized what had happened and remembered the warning that they had all been given prior to getting onto the train to leave Hogsmeade. He could still hear Headmaster Dippets clearly in his head as the wizard spoke to the gathered first years.

_‘You all need to remember that you are forbidden to use magic outside of the walls of this castle. Any use of magic by underage wizards or witches will be dealt with harshly by the Ministry of Magic and could result in expulsion of the offending student from Hogwarts.’_

As he thought back to the words of the headmaster, Tom felt a cold sweat form on his skin and his heart pounding frantically. He hadn’t meant to use magic, it had just happened, the way that it always did when he was angry or scared. The boy dropped the handle of the wagon and sat down on the steps to the building as he began to weep and fearful thoughts entered his mind.

_‘What will become of me? If I get expelled from Hogwarts will I have to go back to that damned orphanage until they throw me out as a grown-up? What will I do then?’_

Summoned by the commotion, Martha stepped out of the building to find Tom sitting on the front step in tears. She looked around and saw only curious gazes being directed, not at the boy, but at the street in front of the pedestrians.

“What happened, Tom?” Martha asked as she knelt next to him.

“The boy has done nothing, ma’am, there is no way that he could have done what happened here.”

Martha looked up at the male voice to see a police officer standing over them.

“I have never seen the like, two boys were picking on the lad and suddenly they were thrown through the air. Your lad had nothing to do with it! He was several feet from them when it happened. Then that pile of horse manure flew into the air and started to hit them over and over again. Your lad never raised a hand against them, he just stood there while they gave him an incredibly hard time and one of them threw some of the manure at him.”

Tom raised his head to look at the person who was speaking and then started as he saw a familiar face in the crowd behind the police officer. Set apart from the normally dressed Muggles was a figure in a brightly colored suit. The eyes behind the half-moon glasses and the auburn hair and beard could only belong to one person and Tom knew very well who that person was.

Martha noticed Dumbledore as well as he stepped forward from the crowd, oblivious to the stares that he was drawing from the gathered passersby. The approaching gentleman, although apparently a bit eccentric, looked familiar and it was only when he arrived at their side that she recognized him.

“Sir, you came to the orphanage a few months ago, didn’t you?”

“I did indeed.”

“I am quite sorry sir; I have forgotten your name. Please forgive me.”

“No apologies are necessary, ma’am. I am Albus Dumbledore and I teach at the school that young Tom attends. I just happened to be passing by when the commotion occurred and, when I saw Tom here, I thought perhaps I should stop.”

Although Martha believed every word that Dumbledore was saying, Tom knew the truth. The professor had apparated here to investigate the disturbance, which meant that Professor Dippet was also aware of the trouble and probably the Ministry of Magic as well.

“Tom, I believe that I shall walk with you and this kind lady back to the orphanage. We have something to discuss and it cannot wait.”

Tom nodded numbly as he rose from where he was seated and then took the handle of the wagon before the group continued on their trip to Wool’s Orphanage. As they walked, Tom had a horrible thought; he wondered if Dumbledore also knew about the book that lay hidden in his cupboard. The professor had been quite adamant about the lack of tolerance for theft at Hogwarts and he had no doubt that that lack of understanding extended to the train.

When they arrived at the structure, Dumbledore graciously assisted the pair with the job of bringing their packages into the building. Once the wagon was emptied Tom led the professor up to his room and then sat down on his bed as the door closed behind them. It was only then that Professor Albus Dumbledore spoke to Tom Riddle.

“Tom, you need to be aware of the fact that Professor Dippet is aware of this incident and the Ministry of Magic is as well. This is a very serious matter Tom; the Ministry could expel you from Hogwarts if they think that you intentionally are using magic outside of school.”

“I did not do it on purpose Professor Dumbledore; it just happened because I got angry.”

“You have to be very careful with your abilities.”

“Are they really going to expel me?”

“Tom, I am going to be perfectly honest with you. I have no idea what they might decide to do but, given the fact that you have exhibited this tendency before, they are going to look very strongly at this incident.”

The boy nodded solemnly as he thought about what the wizard before him was saying. He could end up living in this orphanage until Mrs. Cole decided that he was old enough to be on his own. Then he would have to find a way to support himself and the chances of that were small. His future was bleak indeed if things did not change. Tom felt wet warmth flowing down his cheeks from his eyes and realized that he was crying again. He reached up to wipe the tears away as he looked up at Dumbledore.

“Tom, there is also the matter of the item that does not belong to you that is hidden in your cupboard. You were told that theft was not tolerated at Hogwarts but you took another person’s belonging just the same. I will ask you for that item so that it can be returned to its proper owner upon your return to school.”

Tom nodded and then rose from his bed to walk to the cabinet. Very soon, the book was once again in his hands and he was giving it to Dumbledore. The tall wizard looked down at the boy for a moment and then tucked the book into his robes.

“You must refrain from further actions such as these, Tom. While I find it highly unlikely that you will be expelled from school, this incident will be noted in your record both at Hogwarts and at the Ministry. You would do well not to draw further attention to yourself.”

Dumbledore turned and stepped towards the door and Tom watched anxiously as he did so. When the tall wizard left the room the boy hurried to the cupboard to ensure that the board once again concealed the truck in its hiding place. When all appeared normal he turned back to his room and was stunned to see an envelope appear out of thin air. It hung silently in the air until he approached and then opened on its own. A piece of cream colored parchment with neat black script unfolded itself and then began to speak after forming a strange face that addressed him.

_Dear Mister Riddle_

_It has come to the attention of the Ministry of Magic that at 1:34 p.m. you, Thomas Marvolo Riddle, performed magic on a street crowded with Muggles. This is a direct violation of the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery._

_The result of this activity, while not intentional or severe enough to warrant expulsion from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, led to the deployment of an Obliviator squad to remove the memories of the incident from the minds of the affected Muggles._

_A notation of this incident shall be attached to your file in the Ministry of Magic's Department of Magical Law Enforcement until such a time as you become an adult. You shall be permitted to return to school after the holiday break, but you must understand the severity of the punishments that could be dealt to you should you repeat this activity._

_Sincerely,_  
_Mildred Abernathy_  
_Deputy Minister_  
_Department of Magical Law Enforcement_

A moment later, the letter simply vanished leaving no trace and Tom understood why. The Ministry of Magic was not about to leave a letter on their letterhead lying around for a Muggle to find. As bad as what he had done was, if such a letter was found by Muggles, the damage to the Wizarding World might be irreparable. Certainly their world would be exposed to the knowledge of the mundane Muggle society and then who knew what could or would happen.

He sat down on the chair at the window and looked out at the snow that was beginning to fall. How he wished that he could be at Hogwarts with all of its warmth, instead of here at this forlorn building where, even with the steam radiators working efficiently, there was always the coldness of disdain and lack of love. Tom promised himself that, once he was old enough, he would leave this horrid place and never return to it.

Deep within his heart Tom knew that the holiday would be anything but joyful and, because he had to be careful about the use of magic, he would be condemned to spend the time as one of those that he despised, a filthy Muggle.


	10. Molly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life away from Hogwarts during Holiday break isn't always without it's own trials.

Molly Porter sat quietly in her bedroom at home while she enjoyed the final few days of holiday break. It had been peaceful at home, actually rather boring, as her older siblings had not returned for Christmas and her younger sibling had spent much of the time with their grandparents. The result had been that her mother had been rather upset with them and it had affected the girl.

What had affected her more, however, was the conflict with Tom Riddle. She still truly cared for him although she now understood that he had very little in the way of similar feelings towards her. What she had mistaken for affection from him had actually been carefully veiled derision. The boy was actually very cold when he dealt with others and she had been a fool to believe that he had any true feelings for her. Her friends had been at her frequently to leave him behind, for they could see through him easily and understood that their friend was going to be hurt in the end.

The girl glanced at her wand as it lay silently on her bed beside her. Her parents had been instructing her while she practiced what she was learning at Hogwarts and she was grateful for their help. Her mother was quite accomplished in potion making while her father had been at the top of his class in charms while he had attended Hogwarts. The young girl was benefiting from their expertise and her marks at school reflected that. 

A brisk knock on her bedroom door gathered her attention and she looked up to see her mother poking her head into the room.

“Molly, dear, I’m going to Diagon Alley and wondered if you wanted to go along.”

The child answered by nearly springing off of her bed and gathering her coat from the closet where it had been hung by one of their house-elves. She hurried out of the room and to her mother’s side where she took hold of her mother’s cloak. A moment later they were appearing on the snow covered cobblestones of Diagon Alley.

“I have a few things to get for a potion I am preparing. Here is some money,” her mother said as she handed the girl a few coins, in case you see something that you would like to have. I will find you when I finish at the apothecary and then we can have a bite to eat.”

Molly watched as her mother walked into the building that she needed and then turned to hurry to Flourish and Blotts to look for something to read. The girl enjoyed browsing in the shop and her mother knew where she would find her child. Most children would have gone to the local Honeyduke’s or something of the like, but not Molly; she preferred to immerse herself in a book of some sort.

The girl stepped into the shop and immediately walked to a display of brightly colored books which bore a picture of Hogwarts Castle on the cover. She grinned as she pulled one from the stack and opened it to look at a large picture of the Great Hall. The child imagined that she was one of the many students pictured moving about and sitting at the long tables during one of the meals. She could clearly see Hufflepuff’s table and the rest of the chamber. 

Molly stood there for a long moment looking through the pages before closing the book and looking at the title “Hogwarts: A History”. She knew that she had seen a much older edition than this one in the library at school and glanced at the writing below the title that stated “The Very Newest Edition!”

Tucking the book under her arm she walked over to another table to see a textbook like one that she had. She gave it only a passing glance before walking to the counter and placing her selection in front of the clerk who looked at it and smiled.

“The very latest edition indeed, I remember buying the very latest edition myself when I was a child about your age. But I suppose they find new information about the castle every year, especially when the new class graduates and new students start there. Do you attend Hogwarts, dear?”

“Yes, sir.”

“What House did you get sorted into?”

“Hufflepuff. My parents both were in that House.”

“Ah, you are a legacy then.”

“I suppose. Did you attend Hogwarts?”

“Yes, I attended Hogwarts many years ago, probably before your grandparents were born. I was sorted into Ravenclaw, though.”

Molly enjoyed the conversation while she handed the requested amount to the clerk. Then she watched as the book was wrapped and tied before taking it back into her arms.”

“Enjoy the book, young lady.”

“I will, sir, thank you so much.”

“You are certainly most welcome.”

Molly waved good-bye and turned to leave only to run into Abraxas Malfoy. She blanched as she realized who she had collided with and, after apologizing, tried to walk around him. The boy stepped back into her path and she understood that she would have to endure his company.

“Where are you going in such a hurry? Anxious to get away from me are you?”

“Leave me alone, Abraxas! Go have fun with your thick headed friends, Crabbe and Goyle.”

“They’re around here somewhere, but it’s you that I want to spend time with. Tom was fool for letting you get away, but I am no fool. Will you come with me so that we can talk?”

“I have no interest in talking to the likes of you or spending any time more than necessary in your company.”

“There is no reason for you to be so rude, Molly, I just want to talk to you and maybe get one of those kisses like you used to give Tom. He told me all about them and how you made him feel when you gave him one.”

“Get away from me.”

Abraxas suddenly backed away and Molly turned to see the clerk that had helped her standing behind her. The elderly man didn’t look happy to see the harassment that the girl was experiencing and intended to deal with it.

“Is this young man bothering you, young lady?”

“No, sir, he is getting out of my way right now and is going to stay away from me if he knows what is good for him.”

“I shall see you to the door, nonetheless, to make certain that is what happens.”

“Thank you, sir.”

The boy could only watch as the girl that he desired was escorted to the door of the shop and then leaned up to give her escort a kiss on the cheek before she left the building to join her mother. The elderly wizard turned back to the boy and fixed him with an angry glare that would follow Abraxas as he too left the shop.

Molly had hurried to her mother’s side and the pair walked to a nearby café to enjoy a quiet meal together before they returned home. The girl watched as Abraxas rejoined his family and breathed a sigh of relief when the group did not make its way to the café that she was in. This sigh of relief did not go unnoticed by her mother and a frown crossed the face of the older witch.

“Are you having problems with the Malfoys?”

“Abraxas is so vile, Mother. He accosted me in the book shop and only the intervention of one of the clerks made him leave me alone.”

“Surely it could not have been all that bad.”

“He wanted me to give him a kiss.”

The sharp intake of breath from her mother told the girl that her parent was shocked by the statement and the look in her mother’s eyes betrayed the emotions going through the mind of the witch. The Malfoy family lived not far from them and had often been in their home as guests, but Molly knew that those visits, as infrequent as they were, would be sharply curtailed given the turn of events.

“Are you angry with me, Mother?”

“Not in the least, Molly. Abraxas should have been taught better than that. It does not speak well of his family that he should be so forward as to expect a kiss from a young lady, especially given your age.”

Molly knew now that she could only hope that Abraxas, stung by her rejection of him, never revealed the fact that Molly had kissed Tom Riddle several times. To make matters worse, the girl knew that she had been seen kissing the older boy several times after she and Tom had parted ways. Her parents were horribly old fashioned and still held a sense of propriety that should have been left in the time of her grandparents. This boiled down to the fact that should her secrets ever become known she would face punishment by one, if not both, of her parents.

The meal was finished quickly and, if Molly had expected her mother to rise and lead her out of the café she was mistaken. 

“Molly, we get so few times to talk, that I thought that we could visit for a time. I have missed you so much since you have been away at Hogwarts and I wondered if you had made any friends there.”

“Oh, yes, Mother, I have met so many wonderful people and have a lot of friends to spend time with. The professors are so nice, especially Professor Dumbledore, and they help me if I have questions.”

“I had wondered if Dumbledore was teaching there now, he was a junior professor when your father and I were students there. What does he teach?”

“He is my Transfiguration professor and the Head of Gryffindor House.”

“That makes sense. Dumbledore was a Gryffindor himself when he was a student at Hogwarts. Professor Dippet is the Headmaster now?”

“Yes, I like talking to him. He is so funny and kind.”

“Are there any of the boys that you like?”

“I like some of them, but only from a distance.”

“I sincerely hope that it stays that way for a few more years.”

“Yes, Mother.”

Abraxas had noticed where Molly had gone, but had no desire to have to deal with the mother of the girl. Lorraine Porter was known to have a swift temper and also a burning desire to protect her children, having been likened to a mother bear with a cub. He had no reason to desire to have his family brought into this or to have the visits to the Porter home that they often enjoyed brought to an end. The Porter family was influential and well thought of in the Wizarding World, having a reputation and standing that even the Malfoys envied.

The boy walked up to his bedroom and flopped back onto the bed as he stared up at the ceiling. Tom was out of the way, Molly had said that, and he doubted that she really cared for Thomas, so how did he work his way into her life. His parents had often stated that they hoped that he and the girl would someday wed and bring their families together. How could he tell them what he had done in the book shop and how Molly had reacted to his advances?

While Abraxas pondered his problem, Molly and her mother sat quietly in the café while they enjoyed tea and cakes. Molly watched as her mother displayed polite etiquette and tried to emulate what she was seeing. Nothing less than an honest attempt at such would please her mother and the girl did the best that she could. Molly would breathe a silent sigh of relief when her mother finally rose and they left the nearly silent room to return to their home.

Neither Molly nor Abraxas could have realized that Tom was facing his own problems. Life in the orphanage had taken a turn towards the unbearable after his accidental use of magic in the streets of London and the letter from the Ministry of Magic. He had been trying to keep his emotions in check as he attempted to ignore provocations from the other children as well as Mrs. Cole. The matron had been watching his every move and he found this extremely aggravating. As he sat in the small room that was his sole sanctuary he thought back to Molly.

She was the only person that he could remember that had ever told him that she loved him. Not even Martha, as caring as she was, had ever expressed such affection for him and he had often wondered if anyone ever would. Now the girl had and he had tossed that affection away like a piece of discarded refuse. He wondered if she would even consider speaking to him when they both returned to Hogwarts and knew that it would probably take a supreme effort to get her to even consider looking at him the way that she once had.

He flinched as he heard the voice of Mrs. Cole calling for him and he rose from the chair that he had been sitting in to walk to the door and open it in time to hear her call all for dinner. To delay in reporting for dinner often meant that one would do without it and he had no desire to miss a meal. He left the room and trudged down the stairs to join the queue of boys that was gathering at the door to the washroom. Soon enough he was washing his hands and face before walking to the table and taking his seat.

As luck would have it, his seat had him facing the small cabinet that held the elephant. Mrs. Cole had come upon the key to the curio and had replaced the item where it had been for years. Now that key was on the chain that hung around the neck of the matron and he knew that there was no way that he would ever get it from there or that the elephant would ever be his again. He could only glance at it longingly and the boy knew that the matron was enjoying his discomfort. He could see it in her eyes.

Martha made haste to fill the bowl in front of each orphan with a thick stew that she knew was a favorite of them all. Tom waited quietly, as all of the children did, until all had been served and the adults were seated. Then the waiting continued while a blessing was said. Only when that was finished were the children allowed to begin eating. Conversation was kept to a minimum, not that Tom noticed because no one talked to him. He was largely ignored by those who had known him before he had left for school and totally ignored by those who had come after that day and had been told about him. The boy would spend this meal much as he spent all of them, eating in silence with only the query by Martha if he wanted more stew to break the quiet. 

When the meal had been finished Tom, along with all of the orphans, rose to take the dishes to the kitchen to be washed. This was one of the only chores that the children were spared, too many dishes had been broken by careless children to chance the survivors. Instead, they were sent to begin their baths in preparation for bed time. Woe unto the child, boy or girl, who did not get themselves clean, for Martha would march them back into the washroom to ensure their cleanliness and also to deliver a sharp scolding.

He waited silently for the chance to bathe while the boys who had preceded him worked vigorously at cleaning themselves, especially the areas where Martha or Mrs. Cole was certain to look. When his turn came, Tom worked to swiftly clean himself and then dry briskly before dressing for bed and emptying the bathwater that he had used. He examined the tub to make sure that he had missed no dirt or suds before stepping out into the hallway and directly into the path of Mrs. Cole.

“Did you think that you would get past me without being looked over, Tom?”

“No ma’am, Mrs. Cole.”

The matron began to examine the boy and Tom could sense her distaste for him as she poked into often neglected areas. She paid close attention to behind his ears and, when she could find nothing, snorted and sent him on his way.

“See to it that you go to bed directly, I shall be around to see to it.”

“Yes ma’am, Mrs. Cole.”

He walked up the stairs to the closed door to his room and could hear the soft closing of the door to Mrs. Cole’s office. Tom had no desire to find out what she did behind the door and even less desire to have to deal with her further tonight. He pushed the door open and then stepped into the room to walk to his bed after turning off the light. The cold, stiff sheets and thin blanket did little to offer comfort, but the boy was soon asleep and dreaming about the return to Hogwarts that was only days away. He didn’t hear the door opening or sense the gaze of the matron who had crept up the stairs and walked directly to his room. Mrs. Cole would stand there for a long while and watch Tom Riddle sleep while she wondered what had brought this child into her life in the first place and was continuing to keep him as a part of it. She would finally close the door silently and walk back down the stairs to her own room where she would fall asleep pondering this mystery.

Molly Porter would have much more comforting surroundings as she bathed and then prepared for bed. She would dress in her nightclothes and then a robe before going to her parents for kisses goodnight and then snuggling under the warm blankets that covered her bed. She too was thinking about the coming return to Hogwarts and wondering what would happen when she saw Tom Riddle again. Would he approach her? How would she respond if he did or, she wondered, if he didn’t? What would Abraxas do after he had rejected him in public? Would he tell his parents her secret and would his parents tell hers? She too was soon asleep and her dreams weren’t much more pleasant than those that Tom was having as she wondered how the not so distant future would play out.

Abraxas was also pondering the future as he thought about what had happened when he had encountered the girl in Flourish and Blotts. He was still angry about her rejection of him and the fact that he had been asked to leave the business. The boy couldn’t remember ever being asked to leave some place and it didn’t sit well with him. Obviously the clerk needed a lesson about how to deal with his betters and the boy hoped that his father or grandfather would give that lesson to the old wizard.

The boy had no intention of telling Tom about what had happened because he was more than a little afraid of the boy with the piercing eyes and silent but frightening demeanor. Angering Tom was a swift and certain way to meet with an “accident” that normally left victims bruised and bloody. Although he was only a First Year, the boy already controlled a number of followers and many of them weren’t afraid of getting into trouble. This lack of fear made them valuable when a problem needed to be dealt with discretely and swiftly. Already several of them had proven their worth and Abraxas didn’t want to experience that first hand.

He too was soon asleep as he wondered how to handle what he knew about Molly and what he feared about Tom. His night would go just as restlessly as that of the other two children and he knew that it would only be a matter of days before they were all back at the castle once more.


	11. Tom's Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom leaves the orphanage to return to Hogwarts while Molly also prepares to return to school. Nothing much has changed as Tom enlists the help of his group to deal with his rival for the attentions of the girl.

The pot that he was cleaning seemed to defy all of Tom’s efforts and, not for the first time, he wished that he had his wand and could use magic to clean it. Martha had managed to severely burn some soup and now the remains of the scorched and inedible food were Tom’s to remove. Mrs. Cole had given the woman the day off to enjoy herself and had assured her that the pot would be cleaned when she returned. Deep within her heart, Martha knew that the matron had no intention of cleaning the vessel herself and who would end up performing the chore.

As he worked, while Mrs. Cole sat in a chair supervising the children at work, Tom took solace in the fact that he would be leaving for Hogwarts in a few hours. His ticket for the Hogwarts Express told him that he had to be on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters before eleven in the morning. To fail to be there meant missing the train and he didn’t want to even consider what would happen then. The thought of having to spend any more time than necessary here at the orphanage nearly sickened him and he knew that the matron who even now was growing impatient felt the same about him.

The boy had already packed his bag for the return trip and the clothing that he would wear hung neatly in his cupboard. His robes and wand were safely in his cupboard at school so he had little to carry, all that he had to do was survive one more night here and then he would be on his way back to the castle that he missed intensely.

A bit of stubborn scorched food finally surrendered to him and he looked into the pot with gratitude as the state of cleanliness that was becoming clearer. He rinsed the pot to reveal the few spots that still needed his attention and then attacked them vigorously as yet another orphan finished her chores and was allowed to leave the kitchen to go out into the courtyard to play. Tom realized at this point that only he remained at toil.

“Is that almost clean, Tom?”

He cringed inwardly as the question was asked of him for the fourth time and the boy knew better than to respond politely. Turning slightly so that she could see sincerity in his face, Tom answered the matron as cheerfully as he could.

“Almost, ma’am, I just have a few spots to finish and then it will be ready to be used.”

“See to it that it is.”

He thought for a moment about throwing the pot at the woman, but realized that she would no doubt call the nearest officer to have him taken to a local police station. That would mean that he would miss the train and his trip back to school and he didn’t even want to consider what would happen if he failed to return to Hogwarts on time. Even the knowledge that he would be spending time in isolation with Thomas failed to frighten him enough to want to stay where he was.

Another spot vanished and his heart leaped with joy as another, which had been soaking for a bit also surrendered to his assault. The last spot was soon being scrubbed out of existence and he could see that progress was his as he finally rinsed it away before filling the pot with water and swirling the vessel to clean the last of the debris from it. Sensing that the boy had finished with his task, Mrs. Cole rose from the chair to approach the sink to give the pot an inspection. Unable to find fault with his work she reluctantly nodded her approval and the pot was soon sitting upside down to dry. Tom hurried to clean the sink and dry it before he was allowed to leave the kitchen and proceed outside. As he approached the door, Tom realized that the courtyard held no interest for him and he turned to hurry up the stairs and into his room.

_‘Today! I have to leave this place today! Tom at the Leaky Cauldron said that I could stay there if I ever needed to and I need to. She will make certain that I miss the train, I know that she will, because she will find some chore for me to do to be sure of it.’_

His mind made up, Tom hurried to gather his belongings and carefully pack his traveling clothes. When he finished he closed his case and then walked to the door of his room. He stopped long enough to make certain that the truck was safely concealed and look around the room one last time before he opened the door and stepped out into the corridor just as the children hurried in from outside. Tom waited until they were all in the classroom before descending the stairs and hurrying out through the front door. The courtyard was swiftly crossed and he was soon walking back towards his destination, certain in the knowledge that soon he would be back on the train and on his way back to school.

As he walked, he knew that he would not be missed for a while and then only when one of the adults went up to his room to summon him for some chore. He doubted very much that any tears would be shed or any alarm sounded when it was found that he was not on the premises. A vision of Mrs. Cole smiling came to his mind and he shook his head to clear it as he walked ever closer to his sanctuary.

Tom was right. He was not missed until Mrs. Cole went up to his room to direct him to a chore that she wanted done. The matron nearly smiled when she realized that the boy had crept out without saying anything to anyone. She had pulled the door closed behind her and made a mental note that the room needed to be tended to. She also told herself to be certain to remember this incident when he returned for the summer. The boy had brought punishment upon himself for leaving without permission and she intended to see that that punishment was meted out.

The boy had passed through several blocks and the trip had taken a little less time when a man on a wagon had offered him a ride. He had gratefully accepted the offer and soon was standing outside the door to the Leaky Cauldron. He ignored the curious glances of the Muggles that he met on the street and quietly entered the building that he sought. Immediately upon entry he caught the attention of someone that he had never expected to see.

“Good afternoon, Tom, why are you here at the Leaky Cauldron and not at the orphanage?”

“Professor Dumbledore, you scared me.”

“That was certainly not my intent, but my question still stands.”

“I had to leave, Professor Dumbledore, Mrs. Cole was making me angry and I did not want to use magic by accident and get into trouble again.”

Albus Dumbledore sighed and nodded his head as he directed the boy to a nearby table after ordering a dinner for the child. As Tom Riddle sat down at the table and the bowl of soup and mug of Butterbeer appeared before him he relaxed. Obviously Dumbledore was not angry with him for leaving the way that he had and perhaps would ensure that he was on the platform at the right time.

“How have things been since our last meeting?”

“Mrs. Cole was nearly intolerable, nothing that I did met with her approval and she was always looking for a reason to be angry with me.”

Dumbledore watched as the boy hungrily attacked the soup and piece of bread that had come with it. What the child was saying was understandable from both directions. The Muggle matron had been less than happy when it was revealed who had been stealing at the orphanage and even less welcoming of the return of the boy for break. By the same token, Tom could be understood for his reluctance to return to the place where he had encountered precious little affection while growing up. None of this changed the fact, however, that the child could not stay at the castle during breaks and had to return to Wool’s Orphanage where he would be looked after.

“Professor, would you be able to make sure that I get to the platform on time tomorrow?

“I can indeed, Tom.”

“I would be most grateful.”

“Very well, Tom shall see you to a room and I shall be here tomorrow to make sure that you are where you need to be when you need to be there.”

Tom watched as the professor rose from the table and then walked to the bar to speak to the barkeep. A moment later Dumbledore simply vanished from the room and Tom found himself looking forward to the time when he could use the magic that his teacher had employed.

With a full belly and the knowledge that he would soon be back at Hogwarts Tom followed the barkeep up to a room and stretched out on the bed to fall into a contented slumber that was not disturbed until he rose to travel back down for dinner. The time would pass swiftly and he was soon in his room fast asleep as he dreamed about the waiting castle.

Morning broke all too soon and Tom was awakened by a knocking at his door. He sprang out of bed and found his breakfast waiting for him on a tray. He carried it back to his bed where he wolfed it down before rushing into the waiting bathroom to bathe and then put on his clean traveling clothes. The boy was not amazed when his dishes vanished after he had finished with them and hurried to pack his bed clothing in his bag before hurrying downstairs to find Dumbledore waiting for him. The professor looked up from his cup of tea and nodded as Tom sat down next to him.

“Did you sleep well, Tom?”

“Yes, Professor Dumbledore.”

“I would suppose then that we should make our way to King’s Cross and Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. Take the sleeve of my robe please.”

It was a strange sensation that came over Tom as the room vanished in a swirl of colors and he felt as though his insides were being twisted into a knot over and over again until a small, rather dirty room appeared around them and he was able to release the sleeve that he clutched. He still felt rather queasy and wondered now if he truly wanted to learn how to do what they had just done.

“King’s Cross Station is just on the other side of that door, Tom. I shall leave you now as I believe that you remember your way to the platform. The Muggles will not see you leave this room and you should be able to blend into the crowd rather easily. You have a little over an hour before the train leaves so you should have plenty of time to get to where you need to be.”

“Thank you, Professor Dumbledore.”

There was no answer and Tom realized that he was the only person in the small room. He took a deep breath and then, still clutching his bag, opened the door and stepped out into the bustling station. Dumbledore was right because none of the Muggles took so much as a glance at him and Tom wondered how it was that such a decrepit structure might exist in such a nicely kept station. A glance backwards gave him the answer as the door to the room was now gone. Obviously, it was still there but the portal was invisible to the Muggles and anyone who had no reason to enter the room.

Shaking his head, Tom hurried towards the arch that he needed and then waited while other children, many of whom he recognized, hurried through it and onto the platform beyond. His turn came soon enough and he found himself looking at the crimson locomotive and cars that would take him back to school. He wondered if he would see Molly before the train departed and, while this was going through his mind, a sudden good natured shove from behind caught his attention. He turned around to see his friend Goyle grinning at him.

“Just getting here are you, Tom?”

“Just arrived, have you been here long?”

“I guess. I have not seen Abraxas or William yet.”

“What about Porter? Have you seen her yet?”

“She’s here. I watched her hurry onto the Hufflepuff car. It was almost like she was trying to stay hidden from someone.”

“We can imagine who that is.”

“You really must have gotten under her hide to make her act the way that she is.”

“She is a girl, what do you expect? They want you to give them and only them your attention because if you do not they get mad and run off to someone else.”

“So you are finished with her?”

“I did not say that, Alfred, she will come around when she realizes that she threw away someone that she should not have.”

A sudden movement caught the attention of the boys and they turned to see their friends approaching. The boys hurried to the boarding door of the car and were soon settling into the seats in the compartment that they had selected. As they talked boisterously among themselves Molly sat quietly in her own compartment as she looked out through the window at the platform that was beginning to empty. She had seen Tom and felt no desire to hurry to speak to him although her heart was nearly broken. The girl had also seen Thomas Cowell on the platform kissing an older girl and appearing very happy about it.

She turned from the window and opened a book that she tried to pretend that she was reading, but the tears in her eyes made that impossible and she closed the book. The other students in the compartment glanced at her with curiosity as the normally talkative girl sat silently and spoke only when asked questions.

A blast from the whistle announced the pending departure of the Hogwarts Express and she turned to see her parents waving to her. Molly managed a weak smile and waved back to them as the car jolted and then the train began to move away from the station. She watched as long as possible and finally stopped waving when she could see them no longer. They were on their way back to Hogwarts and she wondered if anything would be the same.

Thomas Cowell walked past the compartment to see the younger girl sitting quietly in her seat and called to her. The girl glanced at him and then turned away to look out the window once again at the passing city of London. Her reaction told him that she knew about what had occurred between him and the older girl from Ravenclaw and that now she would have nothing further to do with him. This would open the door for Riddle to move back in and it angered Thomas. He really did care for Molly, but she was still too immature to hold his interest. She wanted to talk about things that didn’t matter to him and he found her conversation attempts almost laughingly boring. Clearly she was still a little girl and had much growing up to do before she could carry on an interesting conversation.

Tom had swiftly fallen asleep in the compartment with his friends and they had moved to another part of the car to seek out entertainment. The Prefects on the train would soon find themselves busy containing the mayhem created by the students in the Slytherin car and the House would lose many points over the situation.

As the Hogwarts Express sped towards its destination two minds were filled with trepidation. Molly wondered how Tom would react when they met face to face and Tom’s mind was filled with dreams of the acceptance that the girl had shown him. Both of them feared the loss of the other even though they had parted quite angry with one another.

Molly finally managed to gather herself enough to begin laughing with her companions as jokes began to fill the small compartment. The passage of the trolley filled with treats helped as the girl was soon enjoying Pumpkin Pasties and Chocolate Frogs while she chatted happily with a girl from her year that had popped in to visit with her friend.

“Have you seen him, Molly?”

“Who?”

“Tom Riddle, of course.”

“I saw him from a distance as he entered the platform and then again when he was talking to that thick-headed Alfred Goyle.”

“Are you going to talk to him?”

“I really do not know, Emily, he can be so conceited and full of himself. I tried to talk to him more than once before break and he would act like I was not even present.”

Emily Brenton nodded as she listened to her friend. She had no interest in the boy that her friend had found fascinating enough to kiss and was actually quite revolted by the thought of the interaction. Tom Riddle was frightening, to say the least, and demonstrated no visible thoughts of any ones feelings but his own. She had heard rumors about the boy and his dark tendencies that disturbed even some of the Slytherin students.

“All that I know is that if I do give him another chance he had better think of other people as much as he thinks of himself. I will not put up with his self-centered approach to a relationship and nothing could break us up faster than him ignoring me again.”

“So, you’re really thinking of giving Tom another chance?”

“I might, but he has to prove himself or he can go on his way. I do not need him as much as he thinks that I do and, in fact, I think that he needs me more.”

“You have a lot more understanding for him than I do, Molly.”

The girls continued their chat as the miles flew past and finally drifted off to sleep aided by the gentle motion of the train as it rocked the car that they were riding in. Tom had awakened to find that he was alone in the compartment and rose to seek out his friends. It didn’t take long to find them and he was soon among those who had lost points for Slytherin, something that angered him fiercely. He stalked away from the scene and re-entered his compartment to think about the girl who rode in the Hufflepuff car.

He really hoped that Molly would give him another chance although he would never admit it to his friends. The girl had found a place in his heart that he had never known existed and now that place felt very empty without her in it. He realized that he might actually need the girl more than she needed him and this idea frightened him. It exposed a vulnerability within him that could never be shown to others, especially his Housemates. An exposure like that would make him appear weak and that weakness would cost him followers, something that he could not permit. The reign of terror that he and his friends had been enjoying had eliminated many who considered rising against the Slytherin thugs and few others wished to experience their wrath.

His friends walked back into the compartment and realized that their companion was already thinking about retribution against the Prefect that had taken points from Tom. An assault against a Prefect was a serious matter and could result in expulsion from Hogwarts. Clearly, if such an assault was to be made it would have to be carried out in such a way as to not expose the identity of the assailants.

“Tom, you aren’t thinking about James Bernard are you?”

“I am.”

“Tom,” Abraxas continued, “we cannot take on a Prefect. It just cannot be done. Attacking a Prefect is a sure way to get expelled from school and I do not even want to think about what my father would do to me if that happened.”

“What if we did not do it?”

“What do you mean?”

“What if we could get someone that they would never expect to attack Bernard to do it for us?”

“Who are you thinking?”

“What if Mister Thomas Cowell of Hufflepuff attacked Bernard?”

“The saintly Thomas Cowell? Why, you cannot even get him to smash a bug, what makes you think that he would attack a Prefect?”

“We have some Seventh Years who know enough to make it happen. They can do it without even being suspected and I cannot wait to see Bernard beat to a pulp in the middle of the Great Hall and Thomas Cowell being walked out of the castle after being expelled.”

“Who do we get?”

“Maxwell Amner!”

“Amner? Of course, he hates both of them with a passion and is pretty good with curses.”

“If we play our cards right Cowell will be out of Hogwarts by the end of the week and Bernard will be in the Hospital Wing for days.”

“I will talk to Maxwell, he has been itching for something like this to do and I know that he will not pass up a chance to get a little payback for Bernard taking points from us.”

“I want it to happen soon and I want Cowell to beat Bernard to a pulp in the Great Hall so that there is no question about who did it!”

“Consider it done, Tom.”

The boys hurried to close the door to their compartment while they continued to plot as well as change into their robes. They all knew that what they were planning was risky but that, if they were successful, two threats would be removed from the castle with one stroke.

Hogsmeade Station appeared in front of them soon enough and the students began to prepare to disembark from their cars as soon as the train had come to a stop. In the distance they could all see the lights of the castle that stood over the lake and they were eager to return to school.

Some of them wanted to resume their studies, others wanted to resume their relationships while still others wanted something less pleasant. None of them would have long to wait for their wants to be realized.


	12. Plots and Unexpected Results

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom's resolve to eliminate a rival for Molly's affections has an unexpected result that may end his days at Hogwarts.

The conversation between Tom and Maxwell Amner was short.

“He said _what_ about me?”

“Thomas Cowell said that you were worthless at curses and couldn’t make a wart on a toad. He also said that the only way that you made it to Seventh Year was by cheating off of your girl.”

“I am going to give him something to think about the next time that I see him.”

“Why get into trouble, Maxwell, when you can get him into trouble and maybe out of Hogwarts forever.”

This suggestion piqued the interest of the larger, but less intelligent boy.

“What do you think that I should do?”

“Oh, maybe have the dolt attack a Prefect?”

“A Prefect?”

“Yes, a Prefect, and he should do it in front of everyone.”

“He could get expelled for that.”

“Yes, he could, and would it not be worth it to see the git walked out of here by Dippet?”

Maxwell nodded his head and then looked at the smaller boy strangely.

“He does he have to hit?”

“James Bernard.”

“I like the way that you think, Tom, so how do we do it?” the larger boy answered as he brightened.

“You are pretty good with curses, all that you have to do is make them hate each other and want to fight. Bernard will probably lose the fight and end up in the Hospital Wing and Cowell gets put out of school for good. Everyone says that he got into a fight last term and nearly got sent out then. They will not think twice about sending him out now, especially if he beats up a Prefect.”

“It should be easy. They hate each other as it is.”

“Why not tonight? A fight right in the middle of the Great Hall before the evening meal would get everyone’s attention. By tomorrow Thomas could be back on the Hogwarts express and headed for home while James is lying in the Hospital Wing. Even if James does win the fight, Thomas still gets sent home for fighting again.”

The pair shook hands as they rose from the bench that they were occupying and then hurried to part. Maxwell hated both of the boys that had been targeted after not one, but both, had dated his former girlfriend. He had been looking for some way to strike at the pair and now his younger Housemate had given him a gem of a plan. He could get rid of both of the boys, especially if they drew their wands during the confrontation. The large Slytherin boy walked away from the meeting place with a smile on his face and a purpose in his mind. The wand in his robes would serve him again as it had in the past when he had been tasked with dealing someone who threatened what Tom Riddle and the rest of Slytherin was building.

Tom and his group of closest allies hurried to a vacant area of the castle while their pawn sat in his dorm room and considered what he was about to do. If he was successful the pair of boys would be taught a lesson that they would never forget, but if he failed he would be the one leaving Hogwarts forever. He thought about the plethora of curses that he had learned in the seven years that he had studied here at Hogwarts and decided which one that he would use. All that he needed to remember to do was to counter it so that there would be no trace of it when Cowell was questioned by Professor Dippet, which was something that was certain to happen.

While all of this was going on Molly Porter had finished emptying her trunk and had watched as the clothing appeared in her wardrobe. The girl enjoyed doing some of her chores as a Muggle child would have to do, but this did not extend to all chores. She hated cleaning up after herself and that was where the wand proved useful, no matter how large the mess it would vanish with a wave of the wand and a simple spell that she had been taught.

She turned to look out through the window at the forest beyond the castle. Molly could also see the bridge on which she had been standing with Tom when they had kissed for the first time. It seemed so long ago that she had felt very deep feelings for the boy and she wondered if those feelings would ever again be as strong now that they were both back in the castle.  
“  
Molly! Please tell me that you have finished unpacking,” the girl next to her announced, “I am so hungry and it will not be long before the evening meal.”

“Well, if you had taken advantage of the cart on the train you would not be starving.”

“You can only eat so many Pumpkin Pasties before you start to think that you are going to turn orange and get very round with green hair.”

“You, my dear friend Carol, can be so totally mental! You know that, don’t you?”

The girls laughed at the good natured poking and then hurried out of their dorm to start the trip to the Great Hall. As they walked, the friends talked about their plans for the remainder of the term.

“Molly, do you plan on continuing to try to get back with that horrid Tom Riddle?”

“He is not horrid, he just needs someone to care for him and that is what I intend to try to do.”

“So you plan to start seeing him again?”

“Yes, Carol, I plan to start seeing him again, if he will have me?”

“Now you are the one that is being so totally mental, Molly. Tom is far from being pleasant at times and, in fact, can be a bit of a bully when the mood strikes him.”

“You would be a little bit off if your parents had died horribly, would you not?”

“His parents died?”

“He told me that they had died horribly and then he was raised by a Muggle.”

Carol Markham grimaced at the thought of growing up in a Muggle home. To have the ability to perform magic but not be able to would be terrible to say the least. The girl couldn’t think of anything worse than that fate.

They arrived at the Great Hall to see students from other Houses already gathering and they hurried to get to their favored spots before someone else beat them to it. They settled down onto the benches to continue their conversation and Molly could not help but notice when Tom and his friends entered the chamber. The girl hoped that the boy would look for her and she was not disappointed when he did and then sent a shy smile towards her when their eyes met.

Abraxas noticed the exchange with a bit of disappointment as he had actually been hoping for a chance at the girl himself. The memory of the exchange in Diagon Alley brought these hopes down swiftly as he realized that much would have to be done if he ever wanted a relationship with the girl.

None of them noticed Maxwell Amner as he carefully slipped the wand out of his robes before walking past Thomas Cowell. The swift curse was sent on its way and Maxwell was pleased to see the eyes of the boy go out of focus and then return to clarity as James Bernard entered the room with several of his friends.

“Thomas, are you well?”

The girl that had spoken to the affected boy was ignored while fury grew within him as the Prefect drew nearer. James was involved in a conversation with his friends and barely glanced at the boy who now wished him harm, though deep inside he didn’t know why.

“Thomas, what are you doing?”

The question was answered as Thomas Cowell, though younger but much larger, lashed out at the Prefect that was passing him. James had no chance to avoid the strike and took the attack on the chin, a blow which sent him reeling into the table that was filling with young Slytherin. Shouts of surprise and anger filled the room as students scrambled to get out of the way of the angered young wizards.

James, recovering from the strike, managed to recover enough to ask a single question before a second assault hit him in the face.

“Thomas, what the hell are you on about?”

The answer came in the form of a fist which struck the Prefect and removed any hesitance that he had to fight. He managed to launch his own attack as Thomas closed the distance and managed to land a strike sufficient to drive the other boy back. Prefects from other Houses hurried into the fray to attempt to drag the combatants apart only to collect wild swings themselves. Something that had begun as a simple fight between two boys turned into an all-out brawl with many students involved. This had an effect that none of the planners of the conflict had considered.

Thomas, reeling from a punch, clawed for his wand and managed to drag it from his robes before casting a spell at his opponent. Immediately James was thrown backwards to crash among several incoming students who were hurrying to get into the room before the excitement ended. The victim of the spell nearly flattened several younger students as he landed on them and he tried to rise swiftly to counter the attack. He clawed for his own wand and nearly had it when he was struck by magic a second time.

_“Expelliarmus!”_

The wand, just clearing the robes of the boy, was ripped from his hand and thrown out into the foyer just outside the room. James, terrified by the happenings, looked from his fallen wand and back to his advancing opponent. Thomas, sensing that he had won the match, raised his wand to point it at the chest of the fallen Prefect.

“This should have been done long ago, James.”

Thomas was about to strike down the fallen Prefect when a curse struck him from behind.

_“Petrificus Totalis!_

Instantly the boy when completely stiff and the wand fell from his hand to clatter to the floor an instant before its owner. Stunned eyes went to the source of the curse to see Molly Porter still pointing her wand at the fallen boy. Her hand was trembling and she dropped her own wand as staff finally managed to push past the crowd and into the chamber.

“He was going to kill me!” James announced to the Prefect from Gryffindor that helped him to his feet.

“What has happened here? Who started this outrage?”

“He did, Professor Dippet,” James Bernard said as he was helped to a bench. “He attacked me for no reason as I was walking past him with my friends. We had not even spoken since our return to the castle and he attacked me without provocation.”

“Is this true?”

Quiet responses to the affirmative answered the question of Armando Dippet as he surveyed the room and the still stunned faces that filled it. His eyes finally came to rest on the girl who had ended the battle which had involved many.

“Miss Porter, did you cast the Body-Bind curse?”

“Yes, Professor Dippet, I cast it to stop Thomas from hurting James. Am I in trouble?”

“No, Miss Porter, you are not in trouble. You defended someone from harm and I commend you for it.”

The headmaster stepped forward to gather the fallen wand of Thomas Cowell and then cast a counter to release the boy from the curse that had struck him. Thomas, free of the Body-Bind, rose swiftly to his feet in an attempt to attack the Prefect who now was sitting on a bench while his wounds were being examined. He was suddenly frozen once again and laying on the floor but, before that happened Maxwell cast his second action of the evening as he deftly countered the curse that he had placed on his rival.

“I want this room set straight and all involved in my office immediately. Miss Porter, you may remain here for the meal although I shall wish to talk to you later.”

“Yes, Professor Dippet.”

Instantly the headmaster and Thomas Cowell vanished and all assembled knew that their schoolmate was now in the office of Armando Dippet. Tom and his friends were overjoyed to see that their plan had worked and also that Maxwell had managed to remove his curse to avoid its detection. The room was set right and it was not long before platters and bowls of food appeared on the tables before the hungry children.

Tom felt as though he could never eat enough to get full while he and his friends secretly celebrated their success but Molly Porter sat quietly at her table, unable to eat a bite. Her stomach felt as if it were twisted into knots and she wondered if she could even eat anything and have it stay down. She abruptly rose and hurried out of the Great Hall to rush to a nearby girl’s restroom where she lost what little she had in her stomach.

The ordeal over, she sat quietly on the floor of the stall that she had staggered to as she cried. She didn’t particularly like Thomas Cowell and she hated to admit it but she had used the boy to make Tom Riddle jealous. Now she had petrified the boy by using her wand and he would likely be expelled from Hogwarts forever, but he had attacked a Prefect and had been preparing to do real harm when she had done it. The question in her young mind now was about her future at Hogwarts.

Professor Dippet had told her that she was not in trouble. She had used magic to protect another student, but what would Thomas’ friends think about what she had done? Would they be angry enough to move against her and retaliate should he be expelled? Would she be safer if she just told Professor Dippet that she wanted to leave Hogwarts for another school? Molly Porter’s mind would swim with the questions and possible consequences of her actions until a concerned female staff member came looking for her.

“I do not want to leave Hogwarts,” she wailed as the older witch took the weeping child into her arms.

“Molly,” Professor Emeline Horst said softly as she comforted the child, “Professor Dippet will not expel you for what you did. You may have saved a life tonight or, at least, stopped someone from being hurt severely.”

“But what about Thomas’ friends, if he gets expelled because of this will they be angry with me?”

“Why should they be angry with you? You did nothing but the correct thing to do, you just did it before anyone else could! If anything, Professor Dippet is likely to award Hufflepuff a large number of points for what you did and probably send an owl to your parents praising their daughter for taking the initiative and saving someone from harm. You are a hero, Miss Molly Porter!”

Molly looked up at the professor and realized that the woman was smiling down at her.

“Now, wipe your eyes, splash your face with some cool water and let us get back to dinner before everything is gone.”

Molly hugged the professor and then hurried to follow the directions that she had been given. She was soon at the side of the professor as they walked back to the Great Hall and smiled as the older witch playfully ruffled the fair hair of the child beside her.

“Hurry back to your place and get something to eat.”

“Yes, ma’am, Professor Horst.”

Tom watched from his table as the girl walked swiftly back to her own seat and then proceeded to fill her own plate before settling down to eat. As he watched the girl he felt that strange feeling that the sight of her always elicited within him. Tom realized that she represented a future quite different than he envisioned. He had reached a fork in the road of his life and now stood poised as he tried to decide which direction to travel. If he went down the path that his actions dictated he would lose the girl forever and, with her, a chance at a life without conflict. But if he chose the girl, all that he had been working towards with his companions would collapse and his followers would abandon him. Either way, he clearly understood, he would be abandoned by someone and that was something that he didn’t want to experience. He settled back down to his meal as dessert appeared before them and tried to put the conflict out of his mind.

Thomas Cowell, now free to move, sat silently in the office of Headmaster Armando Dippet, his wand lying forlornly on the desk of the wizard who now would decide the fate of the boy.

“Mister Cowell, you have been warned again and again about physical aggression against other students, but here you are once again before me for that same offense. The difference is that this time you drew your wand and attempted to harm Mister Bernard. Several other students and Prefects also were injured in this confrontation that apparently was completely provoked by you! A number of witnesses have confirmed Mister Bernard’s story that he had said nothing to you nor made any sort of aggressive actions. You simply struck him for no reason and then drew your wand while he was down. I have decided that, since you attacked a Prefect and then drew your wand with intent to harm that Prefect without giving thought to the possible injury to others around you, you are expelled from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry immediately. An owl has already been sent to your parents and they will be here soon to collect you and your belongings.”

“Will I get my wand back?”

“I shall return it to your parents but be aware of the fact that the Ministry of Magic will be contacting you to decide if you will be permitted to reapply to this school or any other, as it is you are finished for this term. You will return to your dormitory to gather your things and then proceed to the Isolation Tower to wait for your parents.”

“Yes, Professor Dippet.”

Armando Dippet watched as the young wizard turned and walked out of the office. He could not help but notice the longing glance back at the wand or the tears that were coursing down the cheeks of the young man. The door closed quietly behind Thomas Cowell and it was then that the headmaster picked up the wand and regarded it as he thought about its owner.

_‘What in the name of Merlin possessed you to attack another student the way that you did?’_

The old headmaster sat back in his chair as he pondered the mystery unaware that in the dormitory occupied by Tom Riddle and his friends a quiet celebration was underway.

“That was brilliant, Tom,” Abraxas Malfoy announced. “I heard in the corridor that Cowell will likely be expelled and that Bernard will be in the Hospital Wing for a few days. You were a genius when you picked Amner to do the dirty work.”

“Oh, I made certain that it never comes back to us if the big oaf decides to talk about it.”

“How?”

“I had another one of our associates Obliviate him. There is no way that he will remember doing it, let alone us talking him into it. If necessary a well-placed rumor will get him put out when information gets back to Dippet that maybe the dolt’s wand needs to be read.”

“But if the wand got read? Dippet might let Cowell come back.”

“Not likely, he drew his wand and was ready to blast Bernard into oblivion. I did not think about that happening but it makes things certain that Cowell will not be back. Bernard’s parents will make certain of it.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because I know that Bernard’s father works for the Ministry and will not let this slide. Cowell is done, probably for good, and I should imagine that he will spend the rest of his life as a Muggle.”

The collected boys smiled at their good fortune and would go to bed that night dreaming glorious dreams of success. Molly Porter, her mind now at ease after meeting with Professor Dippet, would sleep peacefully and dream much less malevolent things. Thomas Cowell would sit awake all night as he thought about the events of the day and wonder what the future held for him and if he would ever again walk the corridors of Hogwarts Castle.

Maxwell Amner would also think about the future. He had done what was asked of him and his co-conspirators had then sent another to remove his memories of the incident. What no one knew was that the plot had failed and he remembered everything. The wand that he had used now lay safely in a hiding spot that he used to conceal contraband and he was preparing plans of his own.

“You made a mistake, Tom, I am not as dull as you think. No doubt you are planning to hand me over to Dippet if necessary but that would be the biggest mistake of all. You are walking yourself out of Hogwarts and I shall be happy to show you the way to life as a Muggle.”


	13. Tom in the Midst

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A number of students find themselves afoul of the rules of the school and the question is, can Tom hide his involvement?

The next morning students began to crowd into the Great Hall while Thomas Cowell gathered the last of his belongings for the trip home. The house elf that had been sent to assist him made short work of the preparations and his trunk vanished to appear in the foyer just outside the Great Hall. The boy knew that many would see him and guess that, based on his traveling clothes; he had been expelled from school for attacking James Bernard.

He took one last look around the interior of the Isolation Tower Common Room and then left the rooms to begin the descent to the foyer far below. He would encounter many students that were making their way down to breakfast and try to ignore their whispered comments although he knew fully well what they were discussing. Arriving at the base of the stairs he tried to stay out of the way of those who were still clad in the robes of a Hogwarts student. He would watch friends vanish into the Great Hall and doubt that he would ever see or speak to them again.

Tom was among those that walked past Thomas and could barely hide his glee at the fate that the boy was suffering. He entered the Great Hall with a broad grin on his face and hurried to the table where his friends waited.

“Did you see the pathetic git standing in the foyer in his traveling clothes? I guess that we know what happened to him! That’s what you get for attacking a Prefect.”

The others around him nodded although many knew that Tom had been the architect of Thomas Cowell’s expulsion. They had to keep up appearances and not let the cat out of the bag that they had arranged everything. The student who had been sent to obliviate Maxwell Amner was supremely confident that he had succeeded in his part of the mission. What none of them knew was that he had, in fact, failed at his task and that the larger, older student remembered all about plot. He sat with his own friends at their table as he shot glances towards the dark-haired first year.

_‘You do not know the mistake that you made, Tom. I know everything about your plans and, unless you want Dippet to find out about them, you will do whatever I tell you to do. You had better not make the mistake of sending another to try to obliviate me. I would not take that very kindly and you will likely feel my wrath if you do.’_

Molly entered the Great Hall with her group of friends and noticed Tom immediately. She realized that he was watching her and could not take her eyes off of the boy. She walked with her group to their table and soon was seated so that she could watch him. None of this went unnoticed by the other students at the tables that the pair occupied and both would receive ribbing from their Housemates. They were involved with breakfast when Thomas Cowell walked out of Hogwarts Castle forever. He would spend the rest of his schooling at Durmstrang and come to hate the school where he had once been very happy.

Tom rose with his group when the meal was finished and hurried along with them to Transfiguration class so that they could try to finish the assignment that nearly all had neglected to put any effort toward. The boys would enter the classroom to huddle around their parchments as they compared notes and answers. The opening of the doors to admit other students would interrupt their efforts and they glumly took their places as the seats began to fill. Tom was surprised when the seat next to him was suddenly filled and he turned to see a sheepishly smiling Molly Porter looking into his dark eyes with her own brown ones.

“Hi Tom, do you mind if I sit here next to you?”

Tom was stunned but also pleased by this turn of events and could only nod his head furiously as the feeling that the girl had always generated within him returned with a vengeance. They talked quietly until Professor Dumbledore entered the classroom and then turned to face the front of the room.

“It is my guess that a great many of you neglected the assignment that you were given during the last time that we met. As that is hardly acceptable I shall give you a few minutes to work on this before we go over it together. Do not fail to take advantage of this opportunity to redeem yourself. If you have completed the assignment and wish to read forward in your text the required passage is on the board. At any rate if I see you idle I shall assume that you have completed everything and wish to take a short exam that I have prepared for such an occasion.”

Having experienced such an examination none of the students were much in favor of doing it again and all swiftly settled down to work on the tasks before them. To his surprise, Tom realized that Molly also didn’t have the parchment done and so, with Professor Dumbledore’s approval, the pair settled down to work together. The professor walked quietly between the rows while his students labored with their tasks and, at times, nodded with approval of their progress or frowned at their lack of such.

Finally he called them to attention and was met with a quiet mix of responses depending on the degree of completion. He clapped his hands and the air of the room was suddenly filled with parchment colored birds which landed on his desk and then became parchments once again. Molly watched the flight of the parchments with fascination while Tom had to carefully mask his disdain. While it was interesting he simply could not be as impressed as the girl was.

“Today class, we shall be transfiguring worms into thread and back again. Successful transfigurations which leave the worms unharmed shall earn your House five points while unsuccessful transfigurations shall cost your House five points for each student who harms the specimen. You all know the spell which is used and it is my hope that you have been paying close enough attention. You may begin.”

Tom looked at the worm that had appeared on his desk and then drew his wand before casting the spell that they had been preparing. Nearly instantly a rather furry worm that was nearly two feet long appeared on the wooden surface before him and he looked at it curiously. A moment later his jaw dropped as a number of bright yellow spots appeared on its purple surface. Molly giggled suddenly and he looked at her area to see an orange worm with ears that resembled those of a rabbit. She cast the spell again and was rewarded with blue flower-like appendages on the orange creature.

Albus Dumbledore could not help but smile as he watched the attempts of the students. He remembered clearly his own experience with this spell and the results, results that had escaped and were likely still roaming the area under the castle. He had managed to clear the classroom when the large worm with venom dripping fangs had appeared and then had taken flight with wings that none had seen until then. It had vanished through the classroom door and then had last been seen passing the window to the office of the headmaster. Many had believed that it was some sort of juvenile dragon, but the students who had been in the classroom at the time would vouch otherwise.

A sudden loud thump attracted the attention of all and laughter burst out as they realized that the large, green caterpillar that was festooned with purple dots had once been Abraxas Malfoy. Alfred Goyle, who had been intentionally jostled by William Crabbe, had accidently cast the transfiguration spell on his Housemate. He sat there aghast at what he had done as the large serpentine creature left the place that it had been to slither up the aisle between the rows of desks. Albus Dumbledore was about to cast a counter when he realized that the robes of the boy were still at the place that he had occupied. Reversing the spell now would place the child in a revealing situation and he had no desire to deal with his parents. He decided instead to transfigure the creature into a small bird that was swiftly captured and placed in a cage until the end of class.

Molly managed to recover enough to transfigure her worm into the required form and then back again, although she was rather in the hopes that the professor would leave Abraxas in his current location. She watched as Professor Dumbledore examined the work that she had done and then gathered her books to leave. Her work finished, she had been dismissed to go to the library to research for an upcoming project.

Tom realized that the girl was about to leave and redoubled his efforts to complete the task. He soon was rewarded with a proper transfiguration and counter of the spell. Seeing that his student had completed the assignment Albus Dumbledore released the child and Tom was soon rushing to catch up with Molly. He found her sitting at a table reading a book while she wrote notes on a piece of parchment and sat down to join her. She glanced up and him and grinned as she remembered the incident in the classroom that they had just left. Only a stern glance from the librarian kept her from bursting out in laughter. The class time ended soon enough and the pair rose to race out of the room to the corridor where they both burst out in laughter.

“Did you see that his robes were still sitting on the bench after he left it to crawl up the aisle?

Molly stopped laughing and her eyes widened as she realized what the statement that Tom had made meant. Her mouth opened wide as she stopped in the middle of the corridor and then she began laughing hysterically again.

“You mean that he was …?” Molly asked as she brought her hand up to cover her mouth in shock.

“He did not have a stitch on him! All of his clothes were right there on the bench and floor!”

“Poor Professor Dumbledore, he had to see that when he reversed the transfiguration,” the girl said with a shudder.

“No doubt Slytherin lost a lot of points over that one,” Tom responded with a scowl on his face. “We are never going to win the House Cup if those clowns do not stop fooling around. We are already in third place and this could put us in fourth.”

Molly nodded her understanding of what the boy was saying but said nothing. Her own House, Hufflepuff, was in a strong first place and refused to give up that lead. She talked quietly with Tom as they walked to Potions and they arrived at the classroom with both thinking that they had moved past the argument that had sundered their relationship. They were a solemn pair until a thoroughly angry Abraxas Malfoy entered the room and several students broke out in uncontrollable laughter. The boy threw his books across the room to crash against his workstation a fraction of a moment before Professor Slughorn ordered him out of the room. The members of Slytherin present in the room groaned as they realized that more points had been lost for them.

A moment later Crabbe and Goyle entered the classroom to sheepishly walk to their places. A glance at them told the remainder of the class that they, like Malfoy, had received a royal chewing out and likely had lost points for Slytherin. They were just being seated when Horace Slughorn re-entered the classroom and strode to his lectern.

“Let that be a lesson to all of you! Throwing items in this classroom will get you sent out of the room, assigned detention and a loss of points for your House. Being cheeky when you are speaking to me will get you a trip to Professor Dippet as I shall tolerate nothing of the sort. Now, as I am in no mood today to deal with imbecile-like behavior, we shall spend the class period cleaning. You all have your assigned areas and I expect them to be spotless.”

Wanting no part in trouble with the professor students stifled their arguments and began to clean the areas around them. They were careful to deal with areas that normally were neglected, but were certain to be examined by the angered professor.

Occasionally a titter of laughter sounded as someone remembered the situation in Transfiguration and it was only when Horace Slughorn approached Molly that he found out what had happened. The pretty blonde had related the story to the professor, aided by Tom’s input, and soon the portly wizard was laughing just as hard as his students had been. He walked up to his chair where he sat laughing until tears were running down his face. He wiped his eyes with his handkerchief as he attempted to regain control. Images of the situation kept coming back to his mind and he finally released the children from their tasks and instructed them to read for the remainder of time.

The remainder of the class and Defense against the Dark Arts were much the same as the story spread throughout the castle and, by the time that lunch came, all had heard the story. Abraxas Malfoy was in a rather irritated mood when he realized that he had become both the object of conversation and the butt of several jokes that were enthusiastically told at the tables in the Great Hall. What was not amusing was the level of emeralds in the hourglass for Slytherin House. The incident in Transfiguration and Potions had severely depleted the level of gems as well as placing the House in a solid last place. The three first years would spend a lot of time explaining to older students the loss of so many points in one morning.

The remainder of the day would pass with much laughter and, after dinner, all were happy to return to their House common rooms or other common areas of the castle to rehash the stories that they had heard. Tom and Molly stopped at the junction where they would go their separate ways to their Houses to look into each other’s eyes while they held hands. The girl leaned forward to kiss the boy gently before breaking away to run up the stairs to the receding group of Hufflepuffs that were on their way to their common room. She stopped briefly to look down at the boy who was watching her and then sent a last message to him.

“I love you, Tom Riddle.”

“I love you, too.”

The girl smiled and then hurried on after her Housemates as the boy walked down the stairs to join the remainder of Slytherin in their warren of corridors under the castle. He passed the large portrait of the scowling witch who allowed him passage after receiving the password and then made his way to his dorm. He found the room immediately unpleasant as an argument raged between Malfoy and the pair that had managed to humiliate him in class.

“Just wait until my father hears about this! You idiots transfigured me and left me naked in the classroom in front of everyone.”

“But no one could tell that you were naked,” Goyle offered hopefully.

“You moron, they could see my clothes on the bench and floor. I think that most of them are smart enough to figure out what that meant. You, on the other hand, are so dense that they could use you as a wall section if they ever decide to add on to this poor excuse for a castle.”

“You’re the one who lost points from Slughorn for throwing your books,” Crabbe responded.

“How about if I transfigure you tomorrow and leave you naked. We will see how you react when everyone in the castle is talking about you and what happened to you. I will be hearing about this until I leave this castle in six years, in fact, I will probably be hearing about this for the rest of my life!”

Tom stood quietly for a moment before crossing the room to sit down on his bed to remove his shoes and change into his bed clothing.

“You are being very quiet, Riddle!” Abraxas snapped. “Do you have something to say as well?”

“I have nothing to say at all, leave me out of your argument.”

Abraxas and the other two boys would argue, with considerable venom, for quite a long while until a Prefect stepped into the room to order them into silence. They glanced around the room and realized that a number of their dorm mates were either sleeping or attempting to. Sheepishly, they had changed and then had gone to bed; each determined to resume the argument the next day.

Tom, for all appearances had not been asleep. He had been lying in bed listening to the argument while information was fairly handed to him. Now he had what he needed and he intended to use every bit of it. He would be a companion to every one of the three and use what he knew to appear to be on their side while at the same time doing the same for all of the rest. The information that he had was explosive in nature as things that the other boys had wanted to keep concealed were revealed. The exposure of any of it could bring an enormous amount of trouble to the one who wanted it kept hidden. He was where he wanted to be, in the middle and yet out of the line of fire, not to mention in possession of knowledge that could put any of the three out of school for good.

Maxwell Amner also had no idea that Tom was plotting his downfall, although he suspected it. The plan that had removed Thomas Cowell from Hogwarts had gone off without a hitch and the dolt was gone from school forever. He was also facing charges from the Ministry of Magic and that meant the possibility of Azkaban if they decided that he was guilty. Either way he was out of their lives forever. That left Tom, who was much more of an adversary than he appeared to be. The first year actually frightened the older boy, who tried to avoid Tom when he could. Maxwell lay back on his bed while he began to form a plan of action unaware that his opponent was also doing the same.

Molly lay in bed while she thought about the time that she had spent with Tom. He had been positively charming and she sensed no deceit in what he was saying, but the girl still wondered if he had ulterior motives. The boy had proven that he could be cold and filled with lies before and she wondered if any of that had changed. Her parents didn’t want her seeing boys yet and she was taking a terrible risk by doing so with Tom. If word got back to them about her activities the punishment from them would be swift and certain. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep but visions of Tom kept appearing in her head and they frightened her.

In her visions she could see Hogwarts, but it was clearly a different time because Professor Dippet was no longer present and Professor Dumbledore seemed to have advanced to the post of headmaster. She could see Tom as well, but he was much different. He had grown tall and pale and horribly changed, not only in appearance but in deeds and she wondered if this was what truly awaited the boy.

She had been having these visions for a long time and many times they came true. Somehow, she didn’t know how, she seemed to be able to see what was coming in the future and she wasn’t certain that she liked the ability. The girl had also noticed that she was becoming much more capable with her wand, although she hid this as well and many times merely pretended to struggle with their assignments.

A dark cloud was looming on the horizon in her visions and she wondered if Tom was involved and how. What she knew for certain was that someday, maybe many years in the future, the truth about Tom Marvolo Riddle would be revealed and when that happened something would occur. The question was just what?


	14. Malfoy at a Loss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abraxas Malfoy loses much while Tom has never been more powerful, but there is another that is gaining in strength.

The passage of a month had done nothing to ease the anger of Abraxas Malfoy and he had several times threatened to leave Hogwarts to study elsewhere. In fact, he threatened to do so enough times that many people saw through his bluster and ignored what he was saying leaving him to complain under his breath when he was in the company of others. Things hadn’t been helped when he was caught cheating on an exam in Professor Lands’ room and that been sent to the Isolation Tower for a week. Detention had also been assigned to him for each night that he was in the tower which left the boy exhausted and angrier than he had been before.

Molly had been caught in the crossfire when she had innocently been overheard discussing her marks on an exam with a friend and Abraxas had decided that the girl was talking about him. He had confronted the girl in the corridor and reduced her to tears with his course language before the unthinkable had happened. Molly, upset and confused, had responded to a crude remark that the boy had made about her and her family. In the middle of his tirade Molly had slapped the boy hard across the face in front of a group of his friends.

Infuriated by the strike Abraxas had drawn his wand in anger and was about to strike when someone in the crowd had put a boy-bind on him and he had crashed to the floor to land on his face. All eyes had turned to see Tom with his wand drawn, his eyes filled with fury as he looked down at the paralyzed boy. Professor Dumbledore had appeared swiftly and the gathered students had scattered leaving only Tom, Molly and Abraxas at the scene.

“What has happened here?”

Molly burst into tears as she explained what had happened between Abraxas and herself, freely admitting to striking the boy first. Then Tom had admitted to using the body-bind when Abraxas had drawn his wand in anger. Dumbledore looked down at the boy who lay on the floor before casting a counter. The prone boy stirred before rolling over and then reaching up to grab his swollen nose before rising and running towards the Hospital Wing. He did not get far before he was frozen in place and the young professor stepped up to him before releasing him.

“Mister Malfoy, the next time that you walk or run away from a staff member will result in a trip to Professor Dippet’s office, am I understood?”

Abraxas nodded as he held his hand over his nose in an attempt to staunch the blood that was flowing from it. He glared at Molly and then at Tom as he began to realize just what had happened to result in his collision with the floor.

“Now, it is my understanding that you have been giving Miss Porter a difficult time regarding marks. Is this correct?”

“Yes.”

“I am sorry, Mister Malfoy, but I do not believe that I heard you correctly! What did you say?”

“Yes, sir, Professor Dumbledore, I have been giving her a difficult time about marks. But she had no business discussing mine with another student.”

“I was not discussing your marks with her, I was discussing marks in general, Abraxas! If you had taken time to listen correctly since you had taken the time to listen to someone else’s conversation you would have known what we were talking about. I have no interest in you, your school work or you marks and I truly wish that you would leave me alone!” Molly cut in, her eyes blazing with fury.

“He had no business casting the body-bind on me,” the boy shouted as he pointed at Tom. “Look what he did to me! I think that my nose is broken!”

“It is my understanding that you drew your wand first with the intent to inflict harm on Miss Porter and that Mister Riddle prevented that from happening. I would call his actions justified and therefore he shall receive no punishment. You, on the other hand, shall lose one hundred points for your House for drawing your wand with the intent to inflict harm.”

“One hundred points for that?" Abraxas shouted.  "That is outrageous and unfair and I shall speak to Professor Dippet about it. I will see you sacked, Professor Dumbledore! My family and I shall see you sacked and them thrown out of this school!”

“Mister Malfoy, before you make threats like that I would make certain that you can carry them out. As it is, if Miss Porter decides that she feels strongly enough about it she can speak to Professor Dippet and have you expelled for drawing your wand in anger.”

Abraxas gasped as realization hit him and he nodded his understanding. Then, as loathe as he was to do it, he spoke to the girl.

“I am terribly sorry about what I said and did, Molly. Will you forgive me?”

“I will forgive you, but if you ever do anything like that again I shall go straight to Professor Dippet and have you thrown out of this school. I also want you to stay away from me! I do not want you to talk to me or even look at me. I do not like you in any way, shape or form and will not tolerate you being so callous again.”

The boy nodded and then watched as the girl turned on her heel and stalked away. Tom waited for a moment and then he too left the scene, leaving Abraxas to face the professor alone.

“Mister Malfoy, Miss Porter has made her feelings quite clear and I would suggest that you abide by her wishes. Now, go to the Hospital Wing and have that nose repaired and your robes cleaned, you are quite a sight.”

The boy nodded again and then turned to walk away from the professor that had just dressed him down. He was angry beyond belief at Molly and Dumbledore, but he was even angrier with Tom.

_‘I thought that we were friends, Tom, but I guess not. Watch your back, Riddle, do not forget that I know things that you do not want found out. Make any more mistakes like this one and you will find yourself out of this school and back in that Muggle home that you hated so much.’_

As he walked towards Charms class with Molly, Tom thought about the problems that he had made with Malfoy. The boy could be a formidable enemy, he had connections vital to the success of the plans that they were making and without his influence those plans could wither on the vine. Obviously the damage would need to be repaired and amends made with Malfoy.

The girl next to him, however, had no such useful connections. Her friends tended to avoid him and would not consider coming to his aid, something that made Molly Porter a liability. It was true that he felt something for the girl but she was standing in the way of his control of the school. He didn’t want to be shed of her, the separation before had been too painful and she acted as a buffer to keep him out of trouble. If she left him he had no witness to say that he had been innocent when something happened in the castle. She was reliable for this and the professors and prefects tended to believe what she said.

All eyes in the classroom had turned to Abraxas as he stalked into the room after visiting the Hospital Wing. Professor Flitwick had begrudgingly accepted the pass that the boy had handed to him and then had directed the boy to his seat so that the lesson could continue.

Molly was enjoying the lesson and ignored the glares that the boy directed at her and Tom. Abraxas drew his wand and then began to practice the lesson although his mind was not on his work and this soon showed. Alfred Goyle, sensing the distraction of the boy, surreptitiously nudged Abraxas’ arm which threw the aim of the boy off. The charm that the boy was casting collided with the charm of another which resulted in a thunderclap of noise and a nearly blinding flash of light. Screams sounded as children were frightened and lost control of their own charms. Repetitive thunderclaps and flashes of light filled the room before children managed to hurry from their seats and out of the classroom. A thoroughly outraged Filius Flitwick rounded on the boy as soon as he managed to find him.

“You did that deliberately Mister Malfoy! You created a disturbance that interrupted class and prevented others from learning.”

“But I did not mean to, Professor Flitwick, my arm got bumped and I lost control of the charm.”

“Then tell me who bumped your arm, Mister Malfoy, and it shall be that person who is disciplined. Should you not decide to tell me who was responsible it shall be you who loses points for Slytherin!”

Abraxas shot a stealthy glance at Goyle before making his decision and speaking.

“I will not tell you, Professor Flitwick.”

“Very well, I am taking ten points from Slytherin House for the disturbance and five points for your cheeky attitude.”

Tom felt his cheeks flush with anger as he heard his House lose fifteen points. They had lost one hundred and fifteen points because of Malfoy in less than an hour and now had no chance of winning the House Cup unless some other House lost an incredible amount of points for something. Malfoy was becoming a liability and only his connections were keeping him safe from retaliation for it.

The students walked back into the jumbled classroom a moment before a whirlwind swept through the room and set things straight. Molly picked up the wand that she had dropped in the confusion and went back to the task at hand. It was not long before other students were following her example and the girl ignored more glances shot at her by the boy across the room from her.

Filius Flitwick patrolled his classroom and was pleased as the Porter girl displayed a growing prowess in his class. She exhibited extreme control of what she was doing and seemed to have a calming effect on Tom Riddle. The Slytherin boy was attentive to her and seemed to want to please the girl therefore paying close attention in order to impress her. The young couple had been seen sitting together in various parts of the castle as well as exchanging kisses. This was discouraged at their tender age, but they remained undeterred and as long as the affection did not progress to a higher form nothing was said about it. The staff knew that the girl was rebelling against the wishes of her parents, but also knew that she had made her choice and that the consequences would be severe when the situation was found out.

A few minutes later the class ended and he watched as the children rose to walk to the area reserved for study. Molly and Tom left as though tied together and soon disappeared into the crowd bound for the study area where they would sit together to do their assignments. They were followed swiftly by Malfoy and his chums. None of the three were happy with the increased attention that their friend was showing to the girl. Cracks had appeared in their alliance and she was the main wedge that was spreading them. Obviously she needed to be dealt with, but the probability of confrontation with Tom was an ominous one.

Tom, despite his quiet demeanor, was frightening. He was more than little capable of inflicting pain on someone who had angered him without appearing that he had done so. He seemed to be able to cause things to happen without the use of a wand and held the power of suggestion as a mighty weapon. He could make people do things by merely thinking about it and had demonstrated the ability with weak minded opponents. Many of the first year students and some of the older ones at Hogwarts had been victims of his suggestions, much to their discomfort, and Tom seemed to revel in his capability. He was definitely a force to be reckoned with should they move against Molly Porter.

The girl was also a force to be considered. She was proving to be very capable with her wand. That and the fact that the staff considered her a reliable student who tried to stay out of trouble made her a target to be cautious around. She was highly intelligent and saw through their ploys to get closer to her. The incident in Diagon Alley had proven that and she had rejected the other boys as well. Tom had her attention and she wasn’t likely to sway from him. She also had the advantage of being the daughter of well thought of and influential parents. None of their families had the standing that the Porters did and that frightened even Malfoy. One word from the girl could create a massive amount of trouble for his family and that was the last thing that he wanted. The grandparents of the girl owned much of the land around the holdings of the Malfoys and had made no secret of the fact that they were waiting to claim the land as well as Malfoy Manor for their own.

Molly sat silently as the trio entered the room and refused to spare them a glance while she concentrated on her Potions assignment. She had very nearly completed filling the parchment that she had started and was reading a passage that promised to provide answers to questions that had been posed. Tom nudged her gently and she looked to see him pointing out an answer that had been evading her. The boy was easily her equal in potions and seemed to have a knack for creating correct mixtures, much to the pleasure of Professor Slughorn. The portly professor acted as though the pair had been a gift from Merlin when the girl and boy had entered his classroom for the first time and demonstrated their abilities.

Professor Horst walked around the room while she kept her charges on task as well as quiet. Here and there whispers could be detected and, as long as they were related to school assignments, she was inclined to overlook them. She smiled as she watched the pretty blonde child finish filling a parchment and then reach into her bag for another. The boy next to her was an enigma, and the professor wasn’t certain that she could ever be as fond of him as she was of the girl. Tom Riddle made her uneasy when he looked at her, almost as if he was searching for any sign of weakness or a way into her mind. She was a fairly talented in Occlumens as well as a Legilimens and had detected faint probes against her defenses. Though she could not prove that the boy was responsible, the incidents often took place when the boy was in her presence.

This had become especially common since she had taken on the post of Flying instructor. Professor Dippet, having enough to do already, had offered her the post after learning of her prowess on a broom during Quidditch matches as a student. As she was already a junior professor at Hogwarts and he needed a teacher, she had been an obvious choice for the post.

Now she was watching the study hall as she thought about the fact that these first years would soon be astride brooms during her class. They were all fairly capable although there were exceptions as always. As she walked around the room she was unaware of the gaze that Tom had her fixed with. He wanted to know what she was thinking about and knew that he could find out if he tried hard enough. The idea of trying once again to get into the mind of the professor was nearly intoxicating and he decided that it was worth the risk.

Emiline Horst winced as a sharp headache struck her and the feeling like fingers running through her brain made her almost nauseous. She staggered briefly and then regained her balance before the sensation ended and she was able to focus once again. Glancing at Tom she saw that he was concentrating on his assignment and seemed to be completing the parchment that he had in front of him. There was no sign that he had been concentrating on her at all. She turned back to her patrol and tried to forget the incident, but she was certain of one thing, someone had attempted to breach her mind.

Tom had managed to break the connection before the professor was able to determine who was responsible. She was much more challenging than the Muggles at the orphanage had been because she knew how to shield her thoughts. He tried to concentrate on his assignment but the headache that had resulted from the attempt was troubling him and he knew that he had to try to act as though nothing had happened.

Abraxas hadn’t missed the situation and had seen the responses by both participants. Clearly Tom had done something to create the momentary difficulty of the professor. The boy knew that Tom could influence someone by thinking about what he wanted and obviously he had tried it with Professor Horst.

The remainder of the class time seemed to drag but finally the children rose to walk with the professor to Flying practice where the brooms were already lying in rows on the ground. If a Muggle had managed to see the preparations for class they would have been astounded by the spectacle. As if on cue the door to the shed where the brooms were kept would open and the practice brooms would come out on their own in a single file line until they reached the class area. Then they would separate into two equal lines where they would come to rest until called upon. At the end of the class for the first years they would reverse their trek and then the door would close behind the last one in. The first years would then report to their final class of the day and Professor Beery in Herbology.

Abraxas watched as Molly took hold of her hovering broom before mounting it. She was good at flying, although not his equal, he had been practicing on a broom since he had learned to walk well. This meant that the boy was the most accomplished in the class, a fact that he refused to let his classmates forget. He climbed onto his broom and then soared into the air to get into position for the lesson of the day. From his vantage point he could see Molly approaching his altitude and that she seemed to be slightly nervous about it. They had never been this high before and there was a wind blowing that they had to compensate for. A fall from this height would be dangerous and certain to produce injuries. He wondered if he could cause the girl to fall without being obvious and knew that the chance would be fleeting if at all.

Molly grasped the broomstick tightly as she gained altitude knowing fully well that she was above her comfort zone. She didn’t like the height, the wind that was blowing or the glare that Abraxas was sending her. He had lost points for his House because of her today and appeared to be sizing her up for something unpleasant.

A tweet from the whistle caught her attention and she watched as the follow the leader that Professor Horst had planned began. She dipped the front of her broomstick and began to descend to follow the person in front of her. In doing so she lost sight of Abraxas, who was right behind her, and her chance to see what he was doing.

Abraxas tilted his broom to follow the girl and pointed the nose of the stick at the rear of her broom. He knew that the slightest collision could throw her from the broom and to the ground some twenty meters below. A fall from this height would do the trick and he closed the distance while intently staring at the back of Molly Porter. He maneuvered his broom to take it on a collision course and began to gauge the time for impact. The chances that he would fall from the broom were small, he knew what was coming, but the girl did not.

Tom noticed the situation from where he was far behind the pair. He watched in horror as the broom of his Housemate closed inexorably on that of his girlfriend. It was at that point that he did the only thing that he could.

_‘Molly, look out behind you!’_

The girl, hearing a voice in her head, a voice that shouldn’t have been there, turned her head to look over her shoulder. Her eyes widened as she realized that an impact was almost certain and pushed her broom downwards in a dive, a move that threw Abraxas’ aim off. Abraxas spurred his broom in pursuit of the girl and Molly could only rely on the fact that she was much lighter than the boy and therefore much faster. Tom watched as the pair skimmed along just above the tree tops and knew that sooner or later Abraxas would catch Molly. He was also suddenly aware that Abraxas was drawing his wand and that meant that there was only one thing that he could do.

Abraxas, intent on the girl, began to draw his wand just as a tree limb seemed to reach outward to grab his broom. The sudden jerk threw the broom off balance and towards the ground while the boy lost the grip he had on his wand and it flew back in his slipstream. He fought to regain control of his broom but it seemed to have a mind of its own as it sped towards the earth below. Those above him could only watch as he seemed to gain control at the last moment and then the tip of the broomstick dipped into the ground. Instantly Abraxas was airborne again, a situation that was short lived. He crashed into the ground in the center of a briar patch and was immediately enveloped by the thorny plant that he had come to rest in. Professor Horst and the remainder of the class landed as short distance away and then ran to the downed student.

He was just trying to get free of the entangling thorns when the first person arrived. An instant later the briars seemed to recede as the wand of the professor cast a charm on them. Battered, cut and bloody, Abraxas Malfoy emerged from the flora to face an enraged professor.

“Just what were you trying to do, Mister Malfoy? Why were you so low to the ground, you could have been killed!”

“I lost control of my broom and had just regained it when I hit the ground.”

“You lost control of your broom? And how did you do that? You are one of the best in the class on a broom and all that you had to do was play follow the leader.”

“He was trying to knock me off of my broom,” a small female voice announced.

Professor Horst turned to see Molly Porter standing behind her with tears running down her cheeks as she sobbed.

“He was trying to do what, Miss Porter?”

“He was trying to knock me off of my broom! He was following me far too close and fast and, I if had not seen him, he would have succeeded.”

“Is this true, Mister Malfoy? Did you try to knock Miss Porter off of her broom? Do not try to lie because I can ask the students who were behind you what they saw. Did you try to knock her off of her broom?”

“I have already told you what happened, Professor Horst, I lost control of my broom and she just happened to be in the way. I did not try to do anything except try to regain control of the broom. She is lying about me the same as she always does.”

The professor turned to the other students and asked them a single question.

“Did anyone see what actually happened?”

Abraxas looked at the students, including Tom, with a venomous gaze that promised problems if they informed on him.

“I thought that he was far too close to her,” a girl responded, “she tried to evade him, but he stayed on her tail. Something flew past me as I followed him and I thought that it was part of his broom but now I am not so certain.”

“Mister Malfoy, would you mind producing your wand?”

“Why should I do that?”

“You should produce it because I want you too!”

“I lost it while on the broom, I have no idea where it is.”

Emiline Horst gazed at the boy who returned the gaze without flinching. There was far more to this than he was relating she realized and an investigation into the incident was warranted. If the girl had broken from the group to evade him there was far more than what he was saying going on. An out of control broom was not unheard of, but if he had maintained enough control to chase her, the situation was quite different.

“Very well, Mister Malfoy, in light of this event I shall bring Professor Dippet into the situation. Until we have looked into this you are suspended from Flying practice and your parents shall be informed of the issue.”

“That is outrageous! I did nothing wrong, but I am going to be punished.”

“You are not being punished, merely being given some free time away from class.”

“My father shall hear about this.”

“I am quite certain that he shall because he will need to be at the inquiry into this incident.”

“What about my wand? I will need it for classes.”

“Accio will not work because I will summon every wand in the area. If you can determine the general area where it might have fallen we may be able to retrieve it.”

“It all happened so fast that I have no idea where it might have gone.”

“This is a very large forest, Mister Malfoy, and it may have landed among the tree branches. I am afraid that we may never find it.”

“But we have to,” the boy said with a quavering voice, “that wand has been in my family for generations. My father will be very angry with me if it is lost.”

“I am sorry, Mister Malfoy, but there is simply no way for us to know where it landed.”

The boy turned and ran from the scene with his face in his hands while the other students began the trip back to the castle. Tom, near the back of the group, waited until no one was watching and then stepped into the tree line to pick up the wand that he had spotted where it had fallen and then slipping it into his robes. This could be a useful tool to bring Malfoy back to the fold and also to convince him to leave Molly alone.

Tom was all about using tools and Abraxas Malfoy, without realizing it, had become a very valuable tool indeed.


	15. Malfoy at Odds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The loss of his wand has Abraxas nearly at wits end, but is the return of what is lost in the future and at what cost?

Abraxas Malfoy was in a state. Not only had he lost many points for Slytherin, but his wand as well. Added to that was the fact that Professor Horst had insisted that he be suspended from Flying class which left the boy in a situation that he couldn’t see a way out of.

Without the class he could not hope to make the House Quidditch team as a second year and without the wand he couldn’t hope to pass the classes that he needed to become a second year. It wasn’t the fact that his family couldn’t afford to buy a new wand that bothered him, they could afford to buy a hundred of them, it was the fact that the wand had been in his family for generations and somehow had accepted his use. Now that wand lay somewhere in the forest and probably would forever.

As he lay on his bed staring up at the ceiling a terrible thought came to his mind and his eyes shot wide open at it. If the wand had accepted him perhaps it would accept someone else and if they used it for something against Wizarding law and the wand was read he could be in a great deal of trouble. No doubt if someone used the wand for something that broke the law they would dispose of it. Then, if it was found by an Auror and it was read it would be traced back to him. He could see himself being led out of the castle by Aurors and having to stand trial before the Wizengamot, maybe even being sent to Azkaban Prison. Nothing terrified the boy more because he, like all Wizarding children, had heard the horror stories about that horrid place and its terrifying guards, the Dementors.

Abraxas had listened to the stories that his grandfather had told about his own stint in Azkaban and what he had witnessed there when the Dementors had captured a wizard who had attempted to escape and had killed a guard in the process. He had described in graphic detail the experience of watching a Dementor deliver its lethal kiss as it sucked the soul from the man leaving him worse than dead.

A sudden sound startled him and he nearly fell out of his bed in fright as a strangled squeak escaped him. A shadowy form stood on the other side of the room and Abraxas recoiled from it. He was pressed against the head of his bed as the thing approached and it was only when Tom spoke that Abraxas realized that his visitor had substance and had not come to steal his soul. What he didn’t realize was that Tom intended to do much more if he had the chance.

“Are you alright, Malfoy?”

“Oh, I am just wonderful! I am suspended from one class, I have lost my wand which means that I cannot do anything in some of the others and my family is going to be furious that something that has been in our family for generations is laying out in that damned forest somewhere, probably never to be seen again. I guess that you could say that I am in great shape!”

“Abraxas, I did not mean anything by it, I was just wondering if there was anything that I could do.”

“Now, you are concerned, Riddle? You did not seem very worried when you cast the body-bind on me in the corridor and cost us points for it. You were more concerned about that little twit that you have been snogging than you were your supposed friend.”

“Never let me hear you call Molly a twit again, Abraxas,” Tom answered as his voice rose in anger. “You really do not want me angry with you because it would not lead to anything pleasant.”

“Are you threatening me, Riddle?”

“Take it as you wish, Abraxas, I really do not care what you think as long as you leave Molly out of this.”

“Maybe you would like it if I got off of this bed and gave you a thrashing like have never had before.”

“I would like to see you try, especially since you do not have the wand that you depend on to get done what you need to. It is really too bad that you lost it over the forest, trying to find a particular piece of wood in the middle of a bunch of trees is going difficult. Maybe it got broken during the fall and you have two pieces of wood to find, that would be a tragic circumstance!”

Abraxas was about to rise from the bed when he suddenly doubled over in pain while Tom glared at him intently. The boy attempted to move towards his adversary but found the pain growing stronger as he neared the other boy. Finally, when he was within a foot of Tom, he collapsed onto the floor and lay there helpless while Tom stood over him. He managed to raise his head to look up at the other child and could see the glare that he had been fixed with.

The boy had dealt with many adults in authority over him during his life and not one of them had ever made him as frightened as he was at the present. Tom’s eyes seemed to be boring right through him and were sending a chill through his very soul that Abraxas felt would never be dispelled. The searing pain in his midsection felt as though his insides were being twisted into knots and he wondered if he was in the process of dying. Abruptly, however, the pain began to subside and he was able to look up at Tom once again as the other boy spoke.

“Do not make me angry, Abraxas, do so and I shall make certain that you regret every moment of my reprisal.”

Abraxas Malfoy could only lay on the floor and watch as the other boy walked out of the room silently. As Tom left the room, Abraxas found that he was able to move once again and he painfully rose to his feet to stagger back to his bed. He sat down on the bed as he thought about what had just occurred. Never before in his life had he experienced anything even remotely similar to it and he wondered just exactly what had happened.

 _‘There is no way that Tom did what just happened! He cannot know enough to do that because I know that he was raised by Muggles. Wait a minute,’_ he thought suddenly, _‘ Amner, it has to be him, he is the one responsible for this and Tom put him up to it. Well, I will just have to have some of my friends deal with both of them and neither one will like it a bit.’_

Tom sat silently in the library which belonged to Slytherin House while he considered what had happened in the dorm. He truly regretted what Abraxas had experienced and also was a trifle concerned. Abraxas was quicker minded than most that ran afoul of Tom and far more formidable given the nature of his family. No doubt the boy had learned much from them and was eager to use what he knew. The loss of his wand had been a painful blow that would be hard to overcome and Abraxas had never exhibited the ability to do magic without a wand so Tom felt rather safe in that respect.

 _‘Abraxas, please do not become a liability, I gave you just a small taste of what happens to people that I am angry with. I would really hate to have to do real harm to you but shall if you make me. You are far too valuable to me as a friend. I would hate to have to prove to you what I do to those whom I dislike._ ’

Molly sat quietly in the common room of Hufflepuff House while she read her potions assignment. She was blissfully unaware of what had happened in the dorm between Tom and Abraxas, but what she was aware of was the fact that she was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the friction between herself and the boy that she cared for.

She had made many attempts to bring Tom to something closer to her way of thinking. She saw value in the boy as he was incredibly talented as well as intelligent. He had qualities that made him desirable but he also had some that made him frightening. Tom could be incredibly cold, almost to the point of cruelty although Molly had never experienced that side of him. She had felt the sting of his indifference and it had hurt badly, but never had he been cruel to her. It would have ended their relationship not to mention bringing down the wrath of her parents upon him.

There was also the fact that something told her that there was a lot more to Tom than was visible. Although she believed him when he said that he had been raised by Muggles parts of his story did not ring true. A few times he had told her things that contradicted what he had told her before. She wondered if he might not have grown up in some sort of institution for orphaned or unwanted children. Molly Porter was an avid enthusiast when it came to studying the Muggle world and knew that such places existed. The thought of growing up in a place like that saddened her and she understood that perhaps Tom had grown up in that situation and felt shamed by his past life.

She had felt urged to speak to him about what she felt but feared his response should she be incorrect. The last thing that she wanted was to upset someone and make them angry with her. She finally shook her head and looked back at the lines of text before her. The assignment was a long one and she wanted to do well on it. The end of the term was in sight and she knew that the professors were going to start piling on large amounts of work to be finished before the summer break. She was actually looking forward to the challenge and hoped that she was up to the task ahead of her.

A glance at the clock on the wall and the hurried passage of other students told the girl that it was time for the evening meal. She rose from the chair that she occupied to carry her things to her dorm and then rushed to catch up with her friends as they walked to the Great Hall. As she walked with her friends she wondered about the schools that Muggle children attended. Surely they were not as grand as Hogwarts and she wondered if they had to wear uniforms like the students at the castle. She also wondered what their classes were like although she knew that they likely weren’t studying the things that she did.

“Molly, are you in there anywhere?”

She turned her head to see her best friend, Carol, as the other girl tried to get her attention. The eyes of the other girl were wide with fright and concern while a glance around her showed the rest of her companions sharing the same expression.

“Did you say something, Carol?”

“What in the name of Merlin had you so distracted? You do realize that you almost stepped where the staircases were not! You would have taken real flying lessons if Albert had not grabbed you although I doubt that the landing would have been pleasant or gentle. Please tell me that you were not thinking about Tom again. You really have it bad for him and I am afraid that he is going to hurt you in the end.”

“Tom is not going to hurt me and no, I was not thinking about him I was thinking about going to a Muggle school and how it must be.”

“Why would you even think about that?”

Molly turned to the girl that had spoken before answering.

“I just think that it is all so fascinating. An entire world where magic does not exist and is not believed in. Their books have pictures that do not move and their letters have to be read by the recipient! No Howlers for them! They have to read the words in the letter to find out if someone is angry with them.”

“I guess that way would be a lot better than having it blasted out for everyone else to hear, especially if you get it while you are in the Great Hall. That would be so embarrassing! Can you imagine having everyone in the Great Hall hear what a Howler is saying to you? I think that I would just die of embarrassment if that happened to me.”

Molly giggled at the expression that the girl wore on her face but had to admit that what her friend was saying was right. She knew that she would be mortified if everyone in the Great Hall heard what a Howler was saying to her. She watched as the stairs returned to the needed location and then as the others in her group began the descent again. They talked quietly among themselves as they walked and soon were entering the giant room for the meal.

Tom glanced at Molly as she entered with her friends and scowled as only she paid him any mind. He knew that the other members of Hufflepuff didn’t like him and that many of them suspected that he was behind some of the happenings that had befallen students. The boy enjoyed the power that he wielded to get others to do as he wished, but also knew that right now Malfoy was a liability. If Abraxas decided to open his mouth in anger and tell what he knew it would cause a great deal of difficulty. Tom really didn’t expect him to do it because he would implicate himself in the process and that was the last thing that a Slytherin would do.

Abraxas entered the room alone and then walked to the Slytherin table to take his customary place. He gave Tom a swift glance and then turned to a girl to begin a conversation with her while the others in his group were left out. Crabbe and Goyle looked at each other in confusion before shrugging their shoulders and turning to the meal that was preparing to begin.

Finally, after much effort at ignoring Tom, Abraxas turned to the other boy. Tom had been hoping that they could mend the damage and was not prepared for what came next.

“Riddle! Do you have something to say? Is something on your mind? Out with it or leave me alone.”

Eyes turned towards the looming argument as Horace Slughorn began moving towards the table that the members of the House that he headed occupied.

“All that I wanted to do was talk, Malfoy, but you are too thick-headed to even listen to something that someone else has to say. If you would take the time once in a while to let someone other than you have some input perhaps you could stay out of trouble.”

The words, spoken with a little more force than Tom had wanted, struck home and all were stunned when Abraxas fairly leapt from his seat with his arms flailing at the other boy. He was nearly to Tom when he was grabbed from behind by a larger boy and forcefully returned to his seat. Enraged at the sudden and unexpected contact, the boy looked up at the Prefect with a venomous glare that told everyone around him what he was thinking.

“Do not even think about it, Malfoy!”

The boy glanced at the Prefect who still stood over him and then at the professor who had arrived on the scene.

“Mister Malfoy, there are only a few weeks left in this term and I shall expect a much different student the next time that I have to speak to you. If you continue with the course of action that you are taking I shall speak to Professor Dippet about an alternative location for your education. Have I made myself clear to you?”

Abraxas looked up at Horace Slughorn silently and then, after a long pause, nodded.

“Very well, then let us enjoy this meal in peace. No points shall be taken, but you shall owe me a parchment describing proper behavior when dealing with others.”

“Yes, sir, Professor Slughorn, you will have it tomorrow morning.”

“Excellent, I shall look forward to reading it.”

Abraxas watched as the Prefect and the portly professor walked away from the scene and then turned to the food that had appeared during the disturbance. He would not eat much which was in direct opposition to what Tom was doing. His plate was full and he was enjoying the meal while he spoke with the students around him while he had rejoiced. Abraxas had done him a favor without realizing it. He had shifted the attention to himself which left Tom free to do as he wished. That the wand was still out of the hands of its owner made things even better because it put Malfoy at a disadvantage. Tom intended to return it eventually, but the timing and situation had to be right. It wouldn’t do for Abraxas to find out that his wand had been in the possession of another all along. Tom knew that nothing would enrage Malfoy more.

The meal continued and, as it did, Dumbledore watched the boy that he had first spoken to in that small room in the dingy orphanage. Tom was up to something, of that Dumbledore was certain, but just what that something was mystified the wizard. He knew that the wand of Abraxas Malfoy had been lost over the forest, which meant that it would be nearly impossible to find, and therefore he doubted that Tom Riddle had the item. Still, Tom was acting very mysteriously and he wondered why. It was something that he intended to look into because he could sense a storm coming, it was still far in the distance but it was coming nonetheless.

Tom, having the feeling that he was being watched, stole a glance at Dumbledore. The professor seemed to be watching him and he wondered if the older wizard sensed his possession of the wand. He had known about the items that Tom had stolen at the orphanage and made the boy return them to their rightful owners, would he do the same with the wand?

This all meant just one thing, the wand needed to return to Malfoy, but how? Tom knew that he could not just walk up to the boy and give him his wand, that wouldn’t work. But there was a way to do it and Tom knew what it was. What if he was able to place the wand in the possession of someone else? What if he was able to make Malfoy believe that another student had found the wand and had purposely withheld the information?

Tom looked over at Maxwell Amner and smiled a bit. The big dolt was becoming a liability that had to be dealt with. Obviously Maxwell remembered quite a lot about the incident which had led to Thomas being expelled and that meant that he knew who had arranged the whole thing. If the wand was found in his possession Malfoy would turn on him and do enough complaining to perhaps get the older boy sent from the school. If it worked Amner would be gone and Abraxas would look upon him favorably again. If it didn’t work, Malfoy would get pummeled and perhaps get sent from the school along with Maxwell. If it didn’t work, the boy realized, there was also the possibility that the whole plot could be revealed and then many, including Tom himself, might leave the castle forever.

That left only one detail, how to let Malfoy know that Amner had his wand. He had the perfect tool for the job, a person that no one would suspect as being part of the plan. He looked over at the pretty blonde hair of Molly Porter while the girl talked to her friends. She was perfect for the job, someone that everyone believed and was nearly above suspicion in any wrong doing. All that had to happen was for the wand to end up with Maxwell and for Molly to go to Malfoy with the news. Malfoy liked Molly, even desired her, and would not hesitate to act on something that she told him.

He rose as the meal ended while he thought about the girl. He knew that what he was planning was wrong, even potentially dangerous for Molly because it placed her in a situation that she had no control over or even knowledge of. Secure with his plan of action, Tom looked at Molly once more and then walked out of the Great Hall. The boy had no idea than he was being watched and would have been concerned had he.

Professor Albus Dumbledore remained where he had been seated as he looked from Tom to Molly. The boy had been incredibly intent on the girl and he wondered why because the behavior had not been normal in any sense of the way. Something was afoot and clearly Molly Porter had a part in it, the question was did she have any idea that she had been included in whatever was going to happen? The young professor rose from his place as the room emptied of students to walk to the stairs that led down to the warren of tunnels that Slytherin House called home, there he would pause and look downwards in the direction that Tom Riddle had taken.

“What in the name of Merlin are you up to, Tom, and what part does Molly Porter have to play in it?”


	16. Finders Weepers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom strikes at an opponent using Malfoy's wand and the help of an innocent.

Maxwell Amner awoke that morning feeling very secure and safe in the dorm room that he occupied. The memories of the plot that he had been a part of still troubled him and he had given more than a few thoughts to talking to Professor Dippet about it. Those thoughts had died as he remembered that, as much trouble as the others involved could get into, so could he and he had no desire to face possible expulsion.

He rose from the bed that he occupied to prepare for the day and he glanced at the mirror that graced the nightstand. Guilt had troubled him since Thomas had been sent from the school in disgrace and memories of the departure weighed heavily on him. True, he had disliked Thomas, but no one deserved to be put out of school for something not of their doing. He was keeping a very careful eye on Tom Riddle now because the younger boy was dangerous and obviously had no problem with getting someone else into trouble.

He finished dressing and then gathered his bag to walk to breakfast. He really would not need it this morning, most of the classes were being held outside by professors who were tired of being confined to their classrooms. Students looked forward to the chance to study outside and were careful to avoid causing problems that would return them to the castle and its stone walls. The trip through the common room was swift and he was soon joining the line of Slytherin students as they walked down the corridor and up the stairs which led to the Great Hall.

Not for the first time that morning, Tom fingered the wand that belonged to Abraxas Malfoy while it lay tucked inside his robes. He intended to plant it on Maxwell and then have Molly see the boy with it. Certainly she would be believed and then there would be an investigation during which Maxwell would have a hard time explaining why he had the wand of another student. He certainly would look guilty as he liked to wander in the forest and also was known to take things that did not belong to him. Those facts and the testimony of the girl would ensure him plenty of trouble after she went to Malfoy with the news that she had found out who had taken his wand.

Malfoy, who was still smitten with the girl, would believe her without question. He would confront Amner who, of course, would deny the accusation. But Molly’s revelation would bring about a search and, once the wand was located, Amner’s problems would begin. Safely shielded from the fallout, Tom would be able to deal with another potential opponent and remove him from the school.

Amner had no clue that his downfall was being planned and talked with his friends as they made their way to the Great Hall. He walked into the room and walked with his friends to the table that they favored. Tom watched carefully as his target placed his bag on the floor between his feet and realized, for the first time, that things would not be as easy as he had hoped. The wand would have to be placed in the bag while they were outside and that increased the chances of being spotted. He was deep in thought when he was jostled from behind by someone.

Tom turned to see a very haggard looking Abraxas as the boy pushed past him without speaking. He knew that Malfoy was not sleeping well and not eating much as he worried about his future this term without a wand. Tom glanced down at his robes where the wand was concealed and felt a small pang of guilt at the anguish that the other boy was going through. Many students, Tom included, had offered Abraxas the use of their wands with nearly disastrous results. None of the wands had accepted their use by the boy and he had been unable to produce acceptable results with the borrowed tools. In the end, Abraxas had come very near to giving up his attempts in class with only the promise by his family that they would replace the wand giving him any hope.

Molly stepped into the Great Hall with her friends and diverted long enough to hurry to Tom’s side where she delivered a quick kiss to his cheek before rushing to the table where she would sit. He smiled as she looked back at him and displayed a beautiful smile that complimented the sparkling eyes that she possessed.

“She has it for you, Tom,” an older boy commented as he walked past.

Tom nodded his agreement to the comment and then walked to his own seat to wait for the morning meal and the beginning of the day of classes. As Tom had expected, Malfoy ignored him and any attempts at conversation. He hoped that this would change soon because he needed Malfoy if some of the plans that had been made before their falling out were to succeed. If things did not change soon some of those plans would have to be changed or even scrapped and plans that had been made for the downfall of Malfoy, an outcome that Tom did not desire.

The meal went swiftly and soon the students were hurrying outside as they prepared to begin the day ahead of them. The various professors had told their students where to assemble and Tom watched with anticipation as Maxwell raced ahead of the rest to dump his bag onto the ground under a tree before hurrying away to enjoy some rough and tumble before class. The bag lay abandoned under the tree and its owner soon vanished with his friends as they enjoyed the time before class began.

Students from all classes were soon emulating the early arrivals and bags soon began to gather under trees while their owners dispersed. Tom dawdled for a bit while he waited for the coast to be clear and, as soon as there was no one to observe him, sidled up to Maxwell’s bag and then slipped Malfoy’s wand out of his robes. A moment later the wand was in the bag, where it was certain to be found, and he was hurrying to join his group before he was missed.

As the class wore on he tried to keep an eye on Maxwell while at the same time making certain of Molly’s location. The timing had to be perfect and, sooner or later, everyone would be hurrying back to their bags to grab what they needed for their next class. Molly helped things by wandering back towards her bag just as Maxwell knelt next to his. Tom could only watch with anticipation as the larger boy opened his bag and the wand tumbled out onto the grass in front of him.

_‘Molly, Maxwell has Abraxas’ wand!’_

Molly, not understanding what was happening or whose voice she was hearing, looked at Maxwell just in time to see him hold up the wand. The girl recognized the wand immediately, even from the distance, and her eyes widened as she remembered that the Slytherin student had been nearly insane with anguish over its loss.

_‘You have to let Abraxas know what you have learned. He needs that wand to pass this term. You do not want him to fail, do you?’_

The girl looked at the Maxwell again as the older boy held up the wand that he had discovered. She watched as he examined the wand and then, with a grin, tucked it back into his bag after glancing around to see if he had been observed. She rose from where she was and then hurried away to find not only Abraxas, but a professor as well. She really didn’t care about Abraxas, especially after he had been so brash as to ask for a kiss from her when she encountered him in Flourish and Blotts over the holidays, but she knew that he needed that wand if he stood a chance to pass the term.

It did not take long for her to locate Professor Dumbledore as well as Abraxas and she hurried up to the pair. Abraxas was busy listening to an irate professor who had discovered a misdeed on the boy’s part and was now letting the student know how he felt. They turned to the approaching girl as she called out to the adult.

“Professor Dumbledore!”

“Miss Porter, why are you not busy with the transfiguration that I assigned?”

“I discovered something that I thought that you needed to know!”

Dumbledore sighed deeply and this allowed Abraxas a chance to take a breath. He had been discovered in the process of bullying another student and had been receiving a firm reproach from the professor. Now it seemed that he had been given a momentary reprieve and possibly, if the news that Molly had was important enough, a chance to get out of the situation without serious discipline.

“Very well, Miss Porter, what is it that you feel is so important that you are willing to neglect my instructions?”

Molly paused for a moment and then spoke after taking a deep breath and collecting her thoughts.

“I know where Abraxas’ wand is and who has it!”

Abraxas knew that his jaw had dropped and his expression changed from one of despair to one of elation as the news of the discovery of his wand was relayed. At the same time that he was overjoyed at the news of the probable return of his wand he was also furious that someone had located it and was obviously withholding it from him. He turned to the girl and looked into her eyes as he spoke with considerable venom apparent in his voice.

“Who has it? Is it _Riddle_? Does _he_ have my wand?”

A strange light seemed to fill Molly’s eyes as she responded to the unexpected hostility in the voice of Abraxas.

“NO! Tom does not have your wand! Maxwell Amner has it and I saw him put it into his bag. I thought that Tom was your friend but, with a friend like you I would say that he is better off without friends. You are so totally vile, Abraxas Malfoy, and I would like very much for you to stay away from me from now on.”

The angered girl turned away and walked to where a number of girls had gathered while they performed the transfigurations that had been assigned. She glanced back at Abraxas for a moment and then turned back to her school work as the boy and adult began their search for Maxwell Amner and the wand.

It did not take long for Dumbledore and Abraxas to locate Maxwell, who was busy talking to several girls that he happened to fancy. It was not until Dumbledore hailed him that Maxwell hurried to pretend that he was doing as he was instructed to do.

“Mister Amner, it is my understanding that you are in the possession of a wand that belongs to someone else.”

“I do not know what you mean, Professor Dumbledore.”

“You were seen with the wand that belongs to Mister Malfoy just a short time ago.”

“I have no wand that belongs to him!”

“Then you will not mind letting me look into your bag.”

“Why should I allow that?”

“Because if you do not, I shall assume that you are hiding something and take you directly to Professor Dippet.”

Maxwell looked from one person to another as his mind tried to determine a way out of the situation that he was in. The wand would be easily found if the bag was searched and, once that happened, he would be in a great amount of trouble. He knew that the professor did not need his permission to search the bag and that it was going to be searched regardless of what he said in response to the order of the staff member. Reluctantly he walked back to where the bag lay and then, after lifting it from the ground; opened it.

“That is my wand, Professor Dumbledore,” Abraxas announced as he reached into the bag to retrieve the item that he had thought lost forever before looking up at the larger boy. “You have had this the entire time, I know that you have and you wanted me to fail this term. My father will make certain that you live the rest of your life as a Muggle, Amner. You have made a serious mistake that I intend to see you pay for.”

Abraxas turned and walked away while Maxwell hung his head. He knew that he was in serious trouble and wondered what he could say that would get him out of it. Obviously he could not say that the wand had mysteriously appeared in his bag, although it had done just that, because it would sound like a lie. He wondered just how the wand had gotten into his bag and who had put it there. There were suspicions in his mind, but he had no way to prove any of them and if he did try to place the blame where it should lay once again it would sound like a lie.

“Mister Amner, I need you to come with me to Professor Dippet’s office. It is quite apparent that we have something that needs to be discussed and I quite doubt that it will be a pleasant discussion.”

Maxwell nodded his head and then joined the professor as they began the journey to the castle and the office of Headmaster Armando Dippet. Tom concealed a smile as he watched the professor and student make the long trek back to the castle that they had all just left. He knew that Maxwell would have a hard time explaining away the possession of the wand and that likely the other boy was on his way out of Hogwarts. Maxwell had often talked about his near escapes from expulsion for the theft of small items that belonged to other students and had bragged about how much smarter he was than the professors. Now he was in deep trouble and there was no way to pin it on anyone else, Maxwell was done.

He could not even depend on what he knew about the incident with Thomas Cowell to get him out of trouble. That incident alone would get him expelled and the younger students would deny knowing anything about what had occurred. They could not even be held to blame for the magic that had been used in the assault on Thomas. They did not know how to perform any of it.

Maxwell knew that he could say all that he wanted about what had happened in the Great Hall but it would sound like he was trying to get himself out of trouble and do him no good. The plot that they had used to remove Cowell from the school was now going to claim him as a victim as surely as it had Thomas.

The stairs to the office of Armando Dippet loomed before them and they finally reached the spiral staircase where the guardian asked for a password. They stepped onto the stair treads a moment before the structure began its slow spiral upward. Maxwell felt his heart begin to pound as the spiral slowed perceptibly and then he joined Dumbledore as the professor began the short trip to the waiting door before them. The door seemed to be expecting them and opened on its own before either of them could even think about knocking. With a glance around the vestibule Maxwell entered the office to see the Headmaster standing in the center of the room.

“Mister Amner, I have been expecting you and anxiously wait your explanation about how you came to possess Mister Malfoy’s wand. I warn you that I am at an end of patience with your instances of dishonesty and am prepared to take severe measures to ensure that such a thing does not occur again.”

“Am I going to be expelled from school, Professor Dippet?”

“Mister Amner, I would quite like to hear your explanation about the wand that you possessed that belonged to another student. A wand, in fact, that the student was quite worried about as it had been in the possession of his family for many years,” Armando Dippet answered while ignoring the question of the boy in front of him.

“Professor, I really do not know how the wand was in my bag. It was not there this morning when I packed the bag for the day, but I found it there when I went to retrieve something that I needed for class.”

“Nonsense, Mister Amner, a wand does not just appear somewhere! Although they are inherently magical they cannot perform such feats by themselves. How did you come by that wand?”

“I told you, Professor Dippet, I do not understand how it came to be in my bag. I found it there and then examined it before putting it back into the bag. I knew that it did not belong to me and I cannot explain why I did not attempt to locate who it belonged to. I apologize for my lack of honesty. I know that I should have informed someone about its presence.”

Armando Dippet looked intently at the student before him, sighed deeply and then finally spoke.

“I am not going to expel you, Mister Amner, despite a strong feeling that I should. I am going to suspend you for the remainder of this month and, when you return to finish the term, shall expect you to work diligently to complete your studies. I assume that you shall keep up on them during your time away.”

“Thank you, Professor Dippet, I will keep up on them.”

“Very well, you shall return to your dormitory, pack your things and be on the train this evening. I shall expect you to return at the beginning of next month to complete what you have started.”

“Yes, sir, I shall do just that and you shall be so happy that you did not expel me. I shall make this up to everyone involved, I promise you.”

Maxwell Amner turned and hurried out through the door to the office while the professors watched him go.

“You believed his story?” Albus Dumbledore asked his superior.

“I did, Albus, I believed every word of it. But that leads us to ask just where the wand has been all of this time. It certainly did not just wander out of the forest and then jump into his bag. Who brought the presence of the wand to your attention?”

“Molly Porter.”

“Molly Porter? She certainly does not seem like a very probable suspect. Do you believe that she is involved in this situation? Could she have had the wand all of this time?”

“There are stories that Abraxas Malfoy lost the wand while attempting to harm the girl during flying practice. This certainly makes her a participant in more ways than one, but I do not believe that she withheld the wand from Malfoy.”

“Then where has it been all of this time?”

“I do not know for certain but this incident does bring something to mind.”

“Do we question Miss Porter?”

“We can, but I highly doubt that she can give us any useful information. I suspect that she is just as much a victim in this as the young man that just walked out of this chamber.”

“I wish to speak to her just the same.”

“And if it is determined that she is not innocent in this matter?”

“Then Molly Porter shall face what any other student would if found guilty of this sort of crime. I shall expel her without hesitation or thought of the position of her family in our world.”

Tom sat happily under the tree while he considered what he had managed. Abraxas was elated about the return of the wand and was now more himself. Already they had exchanged pleasantries now that Abraxas knew who had possessed his wand. Nothing pleased Tom more than to have his most useful tool available once again. Molly had also proven her worth by informing Dumbledore about the wand. He had big plans for both of his pawns because, now that Amner was out of the way, his eye had turned to other targets.

Molly Porter was also sitting under a tree while she puzzled over what had happened. Whose voice had told her that Maxwell had Abraxas’ wand? She certainly had not recognized it, but feared exposing it. She did not want to appear mad or, even worse, guilty of planting the wand in the bag of the boy. She realized that she would no doubt be questioned about what had happened and began to brace for what was coming. All that the girl knew was that she could never reveal the voice that had told her the location of the wand, because that information would not lead to something good.

Maxwell Amner sat on the bed in his dorm while he watched his things being packed. A simple wave of the wand that he held had made short work of the chore and he felt regret as well as relief as his books vanished into the trunk before the lid swung closed.

Professor Dippet could have easily expelled him and then there would have been no chance at redemption or return to school. He would have been forced to live life as a Muggle or attempt to gain entry into one of the other magical schools. Given the seriousness of the complaints against him he knew that the latter would have been very difficult, if not impossible. A click told him that the latches were fastened and then the trunk vanished from the room. He knew that it was already sitting in the entry foyer awaiting the charm which would send it to the waiting train which would take him home in the evening. His parents had already been informed, of that he had no doubt, and he had a great deal of explaining to do when he got to King’s Cross. He slowly rose and walked out of the room to make his way to the room where he would wait for several hours before departing for Hogsmeade Station and then the trip home.

Abraxas Malfoy sat down next to Tom abruptly while the sunshine warmed them.

“What do you suppose Dippet will do to the big lout?”

“I imagine that Maxwell will be on the train tonight and living as a Muggle tomorrow. There is no way that Dippet will not expel him after he got caught with your wand. Maxwell Amner is gone forever and, with him gone, the only person who knew about what we did to Cowell other than us can never tell what he knows.”

Neither knew the truth of the matter although one thought that he did and both would be stunned when the revelation about the future was revealed.


	17. Anger, Answers and Anguish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom learns Mawell's fate, Molly provides answers to the professor's questions and Tom learns the meaning of anguish while struggling with his thoughts.

Tom could barely restrain his fury as Crabbe told him that Maxwell had merely been suspended for the remainder of the month instead of being expelled. This turn of events made his plans nearly useless and resurrected a fear that he had felt since Cowell had been forced to leave the school. Amner could, if he felt that he had nothing to lose by doing so, reveal the plot that had forced Cowell to leave and those involved in it. That turn of events would likely result in the return of Cowell and, Tom fumed, his own departure forever.

He would be forced to return to that accursed orphanage and the presence of Mrs. Cole. There was nothing that angered Tom more than the thought of having to live as a Muggle again after having a taste of the life that he had now. Living a mundane life among those who had no magical blood or talent would be unbearable and, Tom thought, if he had to do so he would probably go mad.

“The big lout cannot be allowed to destroy what we have done so far, Crabbe! We nearly have this entire school under our control and I refuse to let it go back to the way that it was when we got here. I definitely do not want him telling Dippet about what we did to get Cowell out of here. That would mean, for me, going back to living with that Muggle and not using magic at all. I can only imagine what would happen to Malfoy, Goyle and you, I mean, they cannot make you give up magic if you live with your parents so what would they do to you?”

William Crabbe shook his large head slowly as he tried to wrap his mind around what the smaller but quicker minded boy was saying. He had no idea what they would do to him and did not want to think about the possibilities. The one that he feared the most was being sent to Azkaban Prison and having to deal with the Dementors that guarded it. Even thinking about them made him quiver with fright and threatened to make him wet himself. No, he knew that he did not want to go there and he wondered what could be done to prevent such a thing from happening.

As angry as he was at the moment, Tom would have been furious had he known that Molly Porter was arriving at the office of Armando Dippet in response to a summons that she had received. The girl could feel her heart attempting to tear its way out of her chest as she approached the open door at the top of the spiral stairs. She was nearly to that door when the voice of the Headmaster met her.

“Miss Porter, please come in, I have been expecting you.”

Molly stepped forward into the office of Professor Dippet and was startled when the door closed behind her. She looked around the room and finally spotted the wizard who was seated behind the desk that dominated one tier of the chamber. The girl could only watch as a chair suddenly appeared in front of that desk and she knew that she was meant to occupy it. She slowly ascended the few stairs that led to that level of the room and then settled into the chair that was for her. Then and only then did she look into the face of the Headmaster as he peered into her tear filled eyes.

“Miss Porter, I assume that you understand why you are here in my office. You do understand, do you not?”

“Yes, sir, Professor Dippet, I understand.”

“Excellent! Then perhaps you will tell me about what happened outside before you went to Professor Dumbledore to relay the news about Abraxas Malfoy’s wand.”

The girl swallowed hard and she tried to calm the frantic beating of her heart. She imagined herself being not unlike a bird that had found itself fixed in the gaze of a serpent and could see disaster looming before her should her explanation seem untruthful.

“I really cannot explain it all without it seeming to be a fabrication, Professor Dippet,” the girl said after deciding that truth was her only ally at that moment.

“Something told me that Maxwell had Abraxas’ wand and, when I looked, he did have it. He was looking at it and then looking around to see if anyone had noticed.”

“When you say that something told you that he had the wand what do you mean?”

Molly took a deep breath and then let the words that she needed, and feared, to say, tumble out of her mouth.

“Professor Dippet, I know that this is going to sound strange, but I heard a voice tell me that Maxwell had the wand. I cannot explain it, but I distinctly heard a voice in my head. Please tell me that I am not going mad!”

“You heard a voice?”

“Yes, Professor Dippet, I heard someone tell me that Maxwell had the wand.”

“Did you recognize the voice?”

“No, sir, Professor Dippet, I do not know who the voice belonged to, I have never heard it before. Please tell me that you believe me,” Molly choked out as tears began to run down her face. “All that I know is that I am not lying and I am not mad, I know what I heard.”

“I do believe you, Molly, but understand that I am compelled to investigate this matter in any way that I feel necessary. Would you submit to speaking to a Legilimens? I feel that with that sort of assistance that all would be revealed and we could put this whole business to rest.”

“Yes,” Molly breathed with relief as she saw salvation appear before her, “I would willingly talk to a Legilimens. I have done nothing wrong and have nothing to hide. Does it hurt?” she asked suddenly with apprehension.

Armando Dippet chuckled at the girl’s expression of terror before answering.

“No, it does not hurt in the least, not unless you are attempting to withhold something from the Legilimens and resist. Then it can be unpleasant.”

Molly smiled weakly, but relaxed, and then settled back into the chair that she occupied. She glanced up as Professor Horst stepped into the room and smiled broadly at one of her favorite professors.

“Hello Professor Horst,” Molly said as the witch sat down in a chair that had appeared next to hers. “Are you here to help the Legilimens?”

“No, Miss Porter, I am the Legilimens and I promise that nothing that I do will hurt you. All that I need from you is for you to relax and let the procedure run its course. Do not resist, for that would make things unpleasant.”

“Yes, Ma’am, Professor Horst, I understand.”

“Molly, I want you to relax completely and then think back to the incident, but I want you to go back before the incident. I want to see all of that morning.”

“You even want to see when I was in the shower?” Molly asked as she became intensely uncomfortable at the thought.

“No, I want to start when you left the Great Hall to go outside.”

Molly thought back to the morning before classes started and soon Emiline Horst was seeing the girl’s memories. All of it seemed very eleven year old girlish, the giggling and whispering about boys and other things. One boy seemed to occupy a large part of the thoughts of the girl, Tom Riddle. Molly Porter seemed to be quite infatuated with the boy and ready to defend him from anyone who had something ill to say about him.

The interest of the Professor was captured as the girl walked towards her bag and then seemed to stagger for a moment. A moment later the professor was hearing the voice that the girl had heard.

_‘Molly, Maxwell has Abraxas’ wand!’_

The girl seemed startled by the sudden, unrecognizable voice and glanced in the direction of Maxwell Amner to see him with the missing wand. Then the voice had spoken again with instructions for the girl.

_‘You have to let Abraxas know what you have learned. He needs that wand to pass this term. You do not want him to fail, do you?’_

The girl had risen from where she had been and rushed to find Abraxas Malfoy, who happened to be in the company of Professor Dumbledore. She listened as Molly told the professor what she had discovered. Then she responded to an accusation by Abraxas that Tom Riddle had stolen the wand with a harsh voice that she had never heard the normally sweet girl use before. Finally, she had turned away and walked back to a group of girls where she settled down onto the grass to do her assignment.

Obviously, the girl had been telling the truth, but the truth came with a puzzle. Who did the voice belong to and how had whoever it belonged to known that Maxwell had the wand? Professor Horst withdrew from the mind of the girl and then turned to Professor Dippet while Molly blinked her eyes to bring them back into focus.

“Did I do okay?”

“Yes, dear, you did just fine. Professor Dippet, Molly is blameless here and I feel she should be permitted to return to class.”

“Miss Porter, you may go.”

Molly rose from the chair and then walked out of the office while, at the same time, looking around to take in as much as she could of the surroundings. Once the door had closed behind the girl Emiline Horst spoke to Armando Dippet.

“She did hear a voice tell her about the wand and what to do with what she knew.”

“Whose voice was it?”

“That I cannot tell you, Professor Dippet, I did not recognize it.”

“Could it have been a student?”

“That is possible, but I would assume that it was an older student. Not many, if any, of the younger students could have performed that sort of feat. That requires a great deal of skill and training, not to mention discipline. The girl is a formidable target. She has a disciplined mind and gave me a bit of trouble when I entered her mind. Someone with lesser training could not have done this easily.”

Armando Dippet sighed as he leaned back in his chair before speaking.

“Then it would appear that we have an investigation to conduct. I want to know who is responsible for this outrage.”

“Are we completely certain that the boy did not take the wand?”

“I feel fairly certain that he did not.”

“Perhaps I should visit with him at his home.”

“I would agree with that plan and I know that his parents would not object.”

“Then I shall travel to his home and meet with him. Perhaps then we can determine what actually happened and how that wand got into his bag. I shall leave once classes are dismissed this afternoon and be back tomorrow.”

The tall witch rose from the chair and departed the office leaving Armando Dippet alone with his thoughts. The wizards and witches in the portraits gazed down at him as he looked at the parchment on his desk that described the incident and what Emiline Horst had learned about it. The quill which had transcribed the testimony sat in the inkwell where it had come to rest after finishing its task. The old Headmaster was grateful for the enchanted quill that he had been gifted with so many years earlier. It made his job simpler and easier on the wrist.

The whole business bothered him immensely. Never had a term been as troubled as this one and he wondered if he was starting to lose his touch for discipline. Not for the first time he thought about his up and coming successor because there was no doubt that, once he had a few more years teaching young minds the finer points of magic, Albus Dumbledore would make a fine Headmaster. Until that time, however, he was the one in charge of the school and the responsibility was his to ensure that the current situation was handled.

“Who is responsible for all of this and what do they hope to gain from it?”

The answer to that question was, at that moment sitting in the library during the study session. Tom was angry, angrier than he had been in a very long time and everyone around him did their best to stay away from him. They sensed trouble brewing and did not want to be involved when the inevitable explosion occurred. Already the boy had been warned by the professor to remain silent and had nearly been sent out of the room because of his response to the redirection. Molly glanced up from the parchment that she was filling with neat script to see his glowering expression and she wondered what had happened to make him mad.

“Miss Porter! That parchment will not complete itself. I suggest that you get back to work and quit looking around. One point shall be taken from Hufflepuff for your being off-task.”

The girl swiftly went back to work, hoping that no one had seen the tears on her cheeks. She was ashamed of costing her House a point and wondered what she could do to regain it. Their house was well in the lead for the term and none of its members wanted anything to jeopardize that lead.

‘What has Tom in such a state? I should think that Abraxas having his wand back and the two of them being friends again would make him happier than he has been in a long time.’

She looked up at the professor who had redirected her before and noticed that the witch was glaring at her once again. Not wanting to cost Hufflepuff more points she hurried to get back to work on the parchment and was soon involved in its completion. When the class ended she attempted to hurry from the room but was stopped by the professor and swallowed hard as she prepared for what was coming.

“Miss Porter, do I need to send an owl to your parents? I have never seen you so distracted during class before and I will not tolerate it to continue. Do not forget that I know your parents and they will not be happy with you should you decide to continue as you are, am I understood?”

“Yes, Ma`am, I understand.”

“Very well, move on to your next class.”

Molly hurried away in an attempt to catch up with her friends and finally managed to as they were leaving the castle to walk to the practice field used for Flying Class. Carol looked at her friend as Molly fell into stride with them and could easily see the discomfort on Molly’s face.

“Are you okay, Molly?”

“Not really, I not only lost a point for Hufflepuff but Professor Jims is going to send an owl to my parents. I can expect a Howler tomorrow because they will not be happy about me not working in class.”

“A Howler? Really? Your parents would send you a Howler for not working in class?” Carol asked as her eyes widened at the thought.

“You do not know them, Carol, my father works for the Ministry and my mother, well, she is just really highly thought of in the Ministry as well. The last thing that they want to get around is that little Molly Porter is not doing her studies. I am supposed to be perfect in everything that I do and sometimes it really hurts that they expect so much from me. It is all because I am the oldest girl and my brothers are all so successful at what they do. My parents do not want any disgrace to come from me and they will not let me forget it.”

“Is that why they dislike the Malfoys so much?”

“The Malfoys own property that my father wants desperately and he is just waiting for them to fall from grace and owe someone so that he can take it from them. The whole family is vile and I cannot stand it when they are invited to our home for some reason. At least my mother keeps me away from Abraxas now, especially after he asked me for a kiss during holiday break.”

“Abraxas asked you for a kiss?”

The group had stopped and Molly could see the expressions of disgust on the faces of her friends as they considered what she had said. The boy was avoided, if at all possible, by all of them and none of the girls considered him even remotely as someone that they would want to spend any time with, let alone kiss.

“My mother was furious with him and it was a long time before they were invited to our home. Father just wants to keep up appearances so that if they ever need to sell the property he can have first chance.”

A voice calling to them brought the group back to making progress towards the practice field where the remainder of their class waited.

“I thought that perhaps you ladies wished to write a very long parchment about dawdling to class,” Professor Horst announced when they arrived. “As it is you have lost five points apiece for your House! Now, get to your brooms or I shall take more points.”

Molly did quick calculations in her mind and realized that the tardiness of she and her friends had cost Hufflepuff forty points. She knew that the older students would not be happy with what they considered a group of silly little girls. The broom before her was hovering in place and she grasped it tightly before mounting it and preparing for class.

“Today we shall be going higher and faster than ever before so I need all of you to be mindful of what is happening. The last thing that we need is for someone to fall from that height and be injured, or worse!”

Molly swallowed hard as she tried to calm her nerves. Since the incident with Abraxas, who still had not returned to class, she had been nearly petrified with fear during class. Her friends had worked tirelessly to restore her confidence, but Molly knew that she was likely going to be one of those witches that simply used a broom only as a last resort. The tweet of the whistle brought her back to where she was and it was not long before she was in the air.

She struggled to remain calm as the broom that she was astride gained altitude and speed while Carol stayed as close to her friend as she dared. Professor Horst knew about Molly’s fears on the broom and was sympathetic to them so she allowed other students to fly near the girl to offer their support. It was helping the girl a lot and the professor knew that eventually it would not be needed but for now she would allow it.

Tom watched as his girlfriend flew through the air with her best friend at her side. This made him feel a bit better and he was able to forget about Maxwell for a moment. He loved the feel of the air blowing through his hair and did not mind when it made him squint his eyes while the broom increased speed. What he hated was the occasional encounter with a flying insect because that was never pleasant and tended to hurt.

He watched as Professor Horst indicated that they were going to gain further altitude and speed and could only imagine the fear that Molly had to be feeling. It did make him feel better knowing that a seventh year was watching from below with her wand ready should anyone fall from their broom. The safety of her students was important to Emiline Horst and having the girl waiting made her feel much more in control of a potentially dangerous class.

Molly was beginning to enjoy herself as her confidence grew. She found that she could control her fear of what she was doing and the ground being so far below her did not frighten the girl as much. She watched as the student in front of her began a descent while he followed the person before him. The descent was not a steep one and Molly tipped her own broom downward to begin her own dive. She felt her eyes squint as the speed increased and the howl of the wind as it blew past her. As intent as she was on what she was doing she wasn’t prepared for what happened next.

There was a sudden shout of alarm from Carol and then a terrible crash as she collided with someone. Suddenly Molly Porter found herself tumbling through the air after falling off of her broom and she knew that a fall from this height meant only one thing.

_She was going to die._

Tom, who was two people back in the line, watched in horror as the girl that he cared for fell from her broom after colliding with her friend, Carol. The other girl managed to hang onto her broom and struggled to regain control of it while her friend plummeted towards the ground.

_“Arresto Momentum!”_

The seventh year, who had seen the collision, acted swiftly to stop the girl from falling to her death. Molly did fall to the ground, but at a much slower rate of descent, and hit the ground hard enough to knock her unconscious. The seventh year hurried to the side of the fallen child while brooms began to land around them.

Armando Dippet apparated a moment later to take hold of the girl’s robe and then vanish with her. The students who had gathered around their fallen classmate knew that Molly and Professor Dippet had already appeared in the Hospital Wing where the girl would receive medical attention. Tom was nearly beside himself with worry and was about to mount his broom to rush back to the castle. He was stopped by the stern voice of Professor Emiline Horst while she attempted to corral the remainder of her class.

“Tom, I cannot allow you to go back to the castle on a broom. I know that you are worried about Molly but, in your current state of mind, I am afraid that we shall be rushing you to the hospital. We shall all walk back to the castle! Everyone grab your broomstick and start back for the storage shed. If I see anyone on a broom without permission I shall take one hundred points from your House.”

Tom sullenly dismounted from the broom and then joined the line of students who were walking back towards the castle. He was torn inside as he considered what Molly meant to him. She was a useful tool having helped him, at least temporarily, get rid of Amner. But at the same time he felt something within him that made him feel that he cared intensely for the girl. That something told him that he could never harm or allow harm to come to Molly. As he walked back to the castle with his broomstick in hand a question kept running through his mind over and over again.

_‘What does she mean to you, Tom, and will you give up everything that you have accomplished here at Hogwarts for her? Is she worth that much to you?’_

Tom was not certain that he had the answer for that within him.


	18. Coming to Blows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Molly's accident Tom finds himself torn between loyalty to his friends and his feelings for the girl. The others in the equation are not as confused however.

Molly Porter lay silently in the bed that she had been placed on in the Hogwarts Hospital Wing while the old nurse fussed over her. While she had not hit the ground at high speed, the girl had still sustained injuries that required attention and she was getting just that.

Tom had walked back to the castle with his classmates and immediately hurried to the place that Molly had been taken to find that he was not permitted near her. He had to content himself with standing at a distance while the nurse and a Healer from St. Mungo’s examined the girl behind the screen that had been drawn around the bed.

Finally, when Tom was nearly at the end of his patience, the Healer emerged followed by the nurse as the screen retracted to expose Molly. The nurse looked down at the boy and smiled while reaching out to comfort him.

“She is going to be just fine, Tom. You can stay here as long as you want to. She will probably be glad to see a friendly face when she wakes up.”

“Will that be long?”

“It is hard to say, but I should not imagine that it will be. She was very lucky that the older student was able to break her fall. If that had not happened we probably would be looking at a tragic outcome for her. But I do not want you to dwell on that, Tom. Molly will be up and about soon enough. Go ahead and pull up a stool beside the bed. I will leave permission for you to be with her when I leave for the day.”

Tom stepped forward and watched as the stool slid towards the bed, stopping at the bedside. He settled down on it but not before leaning forward to kiss the girl gently on the lips. Then he reached forward to take her hand gently while he sat with his head bowed.

As he sat there he felt the strange wetness on his cheeks and realized that he was feeling tears. He had cried before in his life, but only when something had hurt him physically. This hurt was something much deeper and he wondered just what he was feeling.

_‘What is happening to me? Do I care so much for Molly that I would give up everything that I have achieved here at Hogwarts? Am I prepared to turn my back on Slytherin and what will happen if I do? Will all of them turn on me and what can I do if they decide to?’_

His thoughts were interrupted by a light moan from Molly and then he looked at her when she said his name.

“Tom?”

“I’m here, Molly.”

“What happened? Why am I here in the Hospital Wing?”

“You mean that you do not remember what happened during flying practice?”

“I remember flying and now I am here. What happened, Tom?”

“Molly, you and Carol collided in mid-air and you fell off of your broom.”

“Is she okay?”

“Carol is fine, Molly, she managed to regain control of her broom. But you fell and thank Merlin that Professor Horst had Elizabeth Carter ready with a safety spell because you could have been seriously hurt or worse.”

The door to the room suddenly burst open to reveal Molly’s parents and they wasted no time in rushing to the bedside of their daughter. Tom released the hand of the girl and moved back to allow the worried couple access to their child.

“Molly, are you okay? We were so worried when we received the message that you had been injured in an accident and came immediately,” Lorraine Porter said swiftly as she ran her fingers over the hair of her daughter.

“I am fine, Mother,” Molly responded. “Professor Horst had a seventh year keeping watch and she kept me from falling to the ground. She saved my life.”

Tom could only watch as the family spoke and noticed that Molly’s father was rather silent while her mother did all of the talking. While he showed affection towards his child he displayed a tendency to remain in the background and observe. Finally, Molly’s parents acknowledged him and Tom felt a burning in his cheeks as they turned their attention to him.

“I assume that you are one of Molly’s classmates, young man. What is your name?”

Tom found himself unable to speak and finally, much to his relief, Molly answered the question that he could not.

“Mother, Father, this is Tom Riddle. He is one of my classmates and a very good friend. He rushed here to make certain that I was well.”

“Then we owe you a thank you, Tom. It pleases me that Molly has such a good friend who would rush to her aid,” Molly’s father added as he stepped forward to shake Tom’s hand.

A moment later the door to the room opened once again, this time to admit Professor Horst, Carol and a number of other first year students. Abraxas Malfoy, realizing who was standing in the room with Tom, made a swift decision to remain towards the back of the crowd. After the incident in Flourish and Blotts during holiday break, which he had no doubt that Molly had told her parents about, he had no desire to have a confrontation with them.

While the group gathered around Molly’s bed, Tom stole a quick glance at Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle. None of them appeared to be happy that he had rushed to the side of the girl instead of remaining with them and he could see a crack forming in the recently repaired group. It was going to come down to him being forced to make a choice between Molly and their group. He was not sure that he wanted to make that choice because he knew that he would lose either way.

Finally, the nurse on duty appeared to begin to shoo the students out of the room to allow the girl time with her parents and also to rest. Tom found himself being hustled out with the rest of the throng and soon was walking back towards Slytherin House with other students. He remained silent although he knew that it would be impossible to do so for long once Abraxas managed to catch him alone. There was an argument coming and Tom began to prepare for it.

He had no sooner stepped into the dormitory that he shared with Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle when the trio rounded on him and the argument began.

“I am a bit confused, Riddle,” Abraxas shouted, “just who do you want to be with, your chums or that little twit in the hospital? You seem a bit distracted by her and what has she ever done for you? Has she ever talked someone into pounding your enemies for you? Has she ever talked someone into confounding someone for you? Has she ever gotten you anything that you want?”

Malfoy paused in his tirade for a moment as a nearly feral grin crossed his face as a thought came to mind.

“Maybe she _has_ gotten you something that you want! You sly dog, have you and little Miss Porter been doing things that her parents certainly would not approve of? I got into a bit of trouble just for asking her for a bit of snogging, but you, you must have talked her into taking it a bit further than that! I wonder how swiftly her parents would have you out of Hogwarts if they even suspected that you and she had been doing that! You would have to go back to living in that Muggle house with that Muggle doctor and being nothing more than a squib! Her father works in the Ministry and would have you expelled in a heartbeat before having you banned from ever doing magic again. They snap your wand in half when they expel you, Riddle, and they do it right in front of you.”

Abraxas might have had more on his mind to say, but Tom ended the speech that his Housemate was giving as he lashed out with his fist as old abilities left over from his time in the orphanage took over. His target, expecting something else, took the blow directly on the chin and staggered backwards to collide with Goyle. Crabbe, not really wanting a fight as he busily eating the treats that Goyle had left on his bed after sneaking them out of the Great Hall, tried to stay out of the way as the pair fell onto the floor. Tom took advantage of the fact that Malfoy was still stunned by the attack as well as being entangled with Goyle and attacked once more.

Abraxas Malfoy was unprepared for this physical sort of confrontation as he was much more accustomed to watching duels that used wands. Now he found himself totally out of his element and losing the fight rapidly to the boy who was much smaller than he. Tom pressed his advantage as he struck again and again at the no longer grinning Malfoy while Goyle tried to untangle himself while also avoiding the blows that were being landed. Finally, after a blow struck him, Goyle lashed out and managed to land a blow on Tom’s chin which drove the other boy back.

Seizing the opportunity to take the offensive, Abraxas sprang to his feet and began to land his own series of blows on Tom. He had just managed to land the latest of four strikes when a Prefect entered the room and pulled him away from Tom.

“Oi, just what in Merlin’s name are you two on about! Malfoy, go out in the common room and stay there while I sort out things in here. Do not go anywhere else or I will have you before Dippet, now go!”

Abraxas considered responding to the older boy in anger and then decided against it. Fights in Slytherin House were not uncommon and rarely were resolved by anyone other than the Prefects but there were times when Professor Dippet was involved. He walked out of the room followed by Goyle and Crabbe, but not before sending a message that all heard.

“We are not finished with this, Riddle! There will not always be a Prefect around to protect you and this is a big castle. You had better have them move you to a new House because you are not safe from a beating here.”

Tom only glared at the trio as they walked out of the room before turning to the Prefect that now stood over him.

“What happened in here, Riddle?”

“We got into a fight, nothing more, he was saying things about my girl and I hit him. Then Malfoy and Goyle attacked me before you walked in.”

“What was he saying about your girl that made you hit him?”

“He was,” Tom began before a sob wracked him, “he was saying that Molly and I were doing things that we have not. He was saying that her father will have me thrown out of Hogwarts for good and leave me no better than a Muggle.”

“Fighting with Malfoy will get you into nearly as much trouble, Riddle. His father will not be happy about it at all. You left him with a few nasty scrapes and bruises that he will make the most out of when he complains to his parents.”

“Do I need to see Professor Dippet?”

“It might be advisable to speak to him before Abraxas’ father does. I want you to go to his office now while I speak to those three.”

Tom walked out of the dorm to find the trio sitting in chairs while they waited for the Prefect. Abraxas rose swiftly to move to get between Tom and the door out.

“Just where do you think that you are going, Riddle? We are not finished with what you started in there. I think that you are still too pretty to be allowed to walk the halls of Hogwarts and that your face needs some more treatment with my fists.”

The fight was about to begin again when the Prefect appeared and then stepped between the boys.

“I told you,” Archibald Morris shouted at Tom, “to report to Professor Dippet’s office or do you have ear wax so bad that you cannot understand me?”

“I understood you.”

“Then go, and do not make me tell you again. And you, Malfoy, just how many times to I have to tell you to quit acting like a git? I have thoroughly had it with your behavior and will not tell you again to stop it. You are going to Dippet too, you and your pair of trained baboons, and I am taking points from Slytherin House for all four of you. You idiots just cost this House twenty points!”

Abraxas might have been listening to the older boy, but he certainly did not act like he was. He was busy bending over as he clutched his middle and grimaced with agony. He could not know that Tom, as he walked towards the office of Professor Dippet, was concentrating intently on him.

_‘You are going to pay, Abraxas, and you are going to pay with pain. I want you to hurt, Abraxas, I want you to hurt bad!’_

Archibald Morris could only watch as the boy in front of him fell to the floor where he writhed in agony. Abraxas was not hearing anything that was being said around him, he was in more pain than he thought possible. He could hear someone crying out in pain and finally realized that it was himself.

“You!” Archibald shouted as he pointed at another student, “go to the Hospital and summon someone. Tell them I need them here directly. He is in a bad way.”

As a crowd gathered around the boy on the floor and the dispatched boy hurried towards his destination, Tom neared his. He had hurried towards the office of Armando Dippet and was soon standing outside the door to that office knowing that the Headmaster was undoubtedly waiting for him to arrive. As he waited for the door to open to admit him he casually wondered how the ancient wizard seemed to know about things that happened all over the castle. He also, for one terrifying moment, wondered if the Headmaster knew about things before they happened.

He watched as the door slowly swung open and then entered the room to find Armando Dippet sitting behind his desk. The Headmaster watched the boy that, even now, had slowed his pace and was now preparing to settle into a chair that had appeared before the desk.

“Mister Riddle, I understand that there was a problem in the dormitory with Mister Malfoy.”

“You know about this?” Tom said slowly.

“Tom, I know about everything that happens in this castle, it is my job to know.”

“Professor Dippet, Abraxas was saying horrid things about Molly and I and I just could not take it anymore. I love her and would never even consider asking her to do those sorts of things. I have too much respect for her.”

“While I applaud your sentiment Tom, I cannot ever condone violence between students, whether it is magical or physical.”

“I understand.”

“Mister Morris took twenty points from your House for this situation and I agree with his decision. It is my understanding that right now, even as we speak, your former opponent is in a great deal of pain and I need to depart this meeting to be there. That is also part of my job. I assume that you can find your way back to your dormitory.”

“Yes, sir, Professor Dippet, I can find my way.”

“I shall leave you then.”

Tom watched as the Headmaster simply vanished with a loud POP and then turned to the door that he had entered through. As he walked through the corridor beyond that portal his mind was filled with thoughts and confusion.

_‘If you know everything that happens in the castle, Professor Dippet, how is it that you do not know about how I caused Abraxas pain? Do you truly know everything or are there things that even **you** are blind to?’_

The pain in Abraxas’ middle had subsided somewhat and he was able to rise to his feet while the old nurse fussed over him.

“I do not need to go to the Hospital Wing!”

“You are going, Mister Malfoy, and that is all that there is to it. I refuse to have you wandering the halls of this castle while you may be ill. The next thing I know I will be getting a report of you having fallen down stairs after losing consciousness.”

“I agree, Mister Malfoy, you are going to the Hospital Wing at least for the night.”

Startled by the unexpected voice, Abraxas looked up to see Professor Dippet standing in the room. Realizing that he was outvoted, the boy nodded reluctantly and then reached forward to take hold of the robes of the nurse. The pair vanished with a POP leaving Crabbe and Goyle to face the Headmaster.

“You both need to be aware of the fact that Mister Riddle shall be returning in a short time. I shall not permit any further violence and will take steps to remove problems should they occur! Am I understood?”

Both boys, understanding what the wizard was saying, nodded furiously and were in the process of receiving a dressing down when Tom stepped back into the room. He set a course for the door of the dormitory and was nearly there when he heard his name being called. Stopping in his tracks he turned to see Professor Dippet motioning for him to return. A moment later he was joining the pair of students who were speaking with the Headmaster.

“This ends now, boys, and should it not I fear that your time here at Hogwarts shall come to a rather inglorious end. I shall not tolerate these activities and will not hesitate to send owls home to your parents informing them of your dismissal.”

Tom stood silently with the pair and finally stepped away when Professor Dippet finished. Nothing had been left uncertain, outward violence would lead to expulsion and that left Tom with a clear idea of how to deal with problems in the future. Professor Dippet seemed to be unaware of his abilities and that left Abraxas and his friends at a clear disadvantage. As he stepped back into the dorm, followed by a thoroughly cowed Crabbe and Goyle, one thought was running through the mind of Tom Riddle.

_‘You had all better leave Molly and I alone or I will make you hurt so badly that you shall never forget it. I cannot hit you or draw my wand against you, but Dippet does not seem to be aware of what I can do to get even with you. But I will not get even with you, Abraxas, I shall beat you in a way that you never considered possible regardless of how important you are to my plans.’_

Although Tom was unaware of it, there was one other person in the castle who realized what was going on. Albus Dumbledore stood in his office as he looked out through one of the windows at the lake below. As he watched the moonlight sparkle on the waves below his mind wandered back to the boy that he had met in the room in Wool’s Orphanage and something that the boy had said.

_‘I can make people hurt!’_

Dumbledore turned from the window as a thought ran through his own mind and he finally spoke softly to himself.

“What in the name of Merlin have I brought into this castle?”


	19. Plans of Revenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After weeks of quarreling and the fight between Tom and himself, Abraxas decides that it is time to deal with his opponent once and for all. But will it be as easy as it seems?

While Crabbe and Goyle had more or less forgotten about the fight in the dorm between Tom and Abraxas the other two boys had not. Abraxas and Tom avoided each other when at all possible and the tension in the dorm was nearly palpable. It had finally gotten so bad that Tom had been moved to a vacant bed in another dorm and he could not have been more upset about the situation.

Normally a first year would have jumped at the chance to room with older students, but Tom found that it rather cramped his style and also that he couldn’t impose his will quite as easily on these new roommates as he had the others. In fact, he was rather hesitant to attempt anything that might create problems for him. The older students weren’t as susceptible to his control and he found many of them resistant to his probing of their minds. Planting suggestions was even more difficult than that and the boy felt his control of the situation slipping.

Molly had been a constant presence in his life and for that he was grateful. She had been faithful in her defense of the boy and refused to listen to anything that anyone had to say about him. Not even her closest friends dared to express their opinions about the boy for fear of raising the ire of the girl and so found it best to avoid the subject entirely.

Now the girl found herself sitting in Potions class while Professor Slughorn stalked around the room and examined the potions that his students had created. Many were dismal failures, as the thick greenish smoke that hung around the ceiling of the chamber gave evidence. Crabbe and Goyle had, once again, managed to create a great deal of disturbance when their attempts had gone horribly wrong and the boys were now covered with the residue of their mistakes. All present in the chamber knew that the pair would wear the evidence for several days and that it would take a great deal of magic from the elves to clean their robes.

Horace Slughorn was in a fit, he too was wearing the residue of the errors of his students although he would be free of it much sooner than they. He was peering into the cauldron of one of Molly’s friends and shaking his head with disappointment. Carol had also failed to produce a proper potion, although she had managed to avoid the violent eruption that some of her classmates had suffered. Instead, her potion had simply solidified into a hard mass that the girl would have to remove from her cauldron before it would be useable again.

Molly looked down at her potion with trepidation as she prepared to introduce the final ingredient. This was where most failed and she didn’t treasure the thought of being stained with the remains of the attempt for all to see or having to scrape her cauldron clean. She was preparing to slip the powder into the steaming liquid and paused long enough to muse about the fact that the apparently scalding material was actually freezing to the touch. It had to be because introducing what she needed to put into her potion into a hot mixture would produce a poisonous gas.

“Carefully, Miss Porter, introduce the powder carefully.”

Molly turned to see that her professor had approached her and was watching her intently. She nodded her understanding as she carefully tipped the flask that she held in her hand over the mixture below. A second later a small amount of the pink powder in the flask fell from it to join what she had already put into her mixture. A light POOF escaped the cauldron and she was relieved to see that the potion appeared as it should. Horace Slughorn joined her in relief as they both understood that they wouldn’t be wearing the remains of another failure.

Tom watched it all with interest as he prepared to introduce his final ingredient. A glance across the room told him that Malfoy would not be pleased if he didn’t fail. The residue stained boy glared at his classmate as Tom slowly tipped his flask and the trickle of powder escaped to fall into the mixture within the cauldron below. A POOF like the one that Molly had been rewarded with escaped Tom’s potion and the boy found himself able to breathe a sigh of relief. Professor Slughorn turned and, upon seeing the mixture the correct color, turned to walk towards the Gryffindor student who had just been rewarded with a loud POP and a cloud of greenish smoke that already was climbing towards the ceiling as well as badly stained robes, skin and hair. The stunned girl was too surprised to even attempt to cry, she simply stood where she was with wide eyes and her mouth hanging open.

“All of you need to prepare to clean up for the end of class. Those of you who have managed to master this potion will leave your cauldrons as they are. I shall have the second years decant the potion into flasks for their use in the potions that they are preparing. Those of you who were not successful shall need to spend some time cleaning your cauldrons before they can be used again. This shall have to be done tonight as no residue of today’s attempt can be present tomorrow. The results of failing to clean them properly would be, shall we say, rather interesting. Some who failed to clean their cauldrons completely in the past ended up in an embarrassing state for the remainder of the term.”

Gasps sounded around the room as those who had not properly produced their potions looked warily into their cauldrons. The end of the term was only a few weeks away and none of them wanted to live out those weeks marked as not satisfactorily completing their tasks in Potions class.

Tom joined Molly as they prepared to leave the room and could not help but cast a glance in the direction of his classmates. Malfoy had managed to prepare a suitable potion and so had avoided being stained like his fellows Crabbe and Goyle; still his potion was not usable by the second years and would have to be disposed of. Professor Slughorn glared at the boy, who had self-professed that he was already highly skilled at potion making through tutoring at home. Now it was quite obvious that, while he had obviously had some help at home, he was little better off than most of his classmates and not as well prepared as others. This situation often left the boy angry and quite unpleasant to those who questioned him about it.

Abraxas watched with a baleful glare as the young couple gathered their belongings and prepared to leave with those few others who had managed to complete the assignment correctly. He wouldn’t admit it, but he missed the help that Tom had been able to give him in the past. Now they rarely spoke and, when they did, it was with considerable angst. This bothered Abraxas, because Tom seemed to be moving along just fine without him and didn’t seem to be disturbed by the fact that the trio no longer moved as closely in his circle as they once had.

Crabbe and Goyle had managed to creep slowly back into the graces of Riddle and this fact bothered Malfoy more than anything. The pair had shown little in the way of loyalty to him and had, at the first opportunity abandoned him in favor of someone that they perceived as more powerful than their long-time companion. He was turning away from the cauldron before him when he accidently brushed against the work table. This jostle managed to dislodge a flask that was near the edge of the table and the container began an inexorable roll towards the cauldron below it. Horace Slughorn turned just in time to see it begin to fall and shouted out a warning to those within the chamber.

“Everybody get down onto the floor or out of the room if possible!”

The flask full of powdered potion fell into the still roiling mixture within the cauldron and the reaction was immediate. Instantly there was an intolerable BANG and a huge cloud of bright orange smoke billowed towards the ceiling.

Molly felt herself being shoved roughly to the floor of the corridor as Tom pushed her out through the door. Her books and bag scattered across the floor as Tom joined her on the ancient stones. Several other students, who had been close enough to the exit, dived out through the still open door before it began to close in response to the spell that had been cast upon it by the professor within the room. The students were keenly aware that many of their classmates were still inside the chamber and began to wonder what the fate of their friends would be. They didn’t have long to wait before they found out.

As they gathered themselves and the corridor began to fill with curious students who had left other classrooms the door suddenly opened, preceded by a billowing cloud of orange vapor. The students scattered as strange, indescribable creatures began to stagger from the room and out into the large hallway. One of them, a bit rotund and obviously in control of the group paused for a moment as it wiped its eyes free of the goo that coated it and then opened its mouth to shout out its anger.

“Abraxas Malfoy, of all of the incompetent and careless things that I have seen in my many years of teaching Potions, this has to be the crowning glory of all. You were quite explicitly warned about the probable side effects of introducing large amounts of Essence of Wolfs bane into that potion. It is going to be dreadfully difficult to clean the classroom and ourselves of the residue of your carelessness. As it is, there is no chance that it shall be ready for the next class and all of the properly prepared potions are now quite useless. The only thing that we are fortunate for is that those potions were past the volatile stage. The outcome if they had not been would have been quite tragic and would no doubt have filled the Hospital Wing with patients! I shall expect two complete parchments on the subject of safety in the Potions classroom first thing tomorrow morning when you step back into class.”

A smaller creature hung its head and mumbled something that was unintelligible before it staggered away from the group and down the corridor. The remainder of the group began to scatter in various directions and Tom, along with those who had not been affected by the smoke, could only watch as their classmates disappeared from view. It was only when the crowd had vanished that Molly managed to speak.

“I imagine that Defense against the Dark Arts will be a bit empty today. I would bet that Professor Lands has already heard about this and is expecting a more or less vacant room.”

Tom looked down into the eyes of the girl and smiled as they hugged. Mischief sparkled in the eyes of Molly Porter and he put his arm around the girl as they walked away to make the trip to the Hospital Wing. Molly was now sporting a rather nasty scrape on her arm courtesy of his haste to get her out of the room to escape the incident. Behind them Horace Slughorn, still covered with goo, was looking mournfully into his coated classroom and the contents within. It would take even the elves awhile to clean it and he was extremely angered by the incident. Glancing down at his own robes, he fished for his wand and cast a simple spell to clean the offending slime from the robes and him.

“ _Tergeo!_ ”

He was more or less clean when the incantation was complete although a small bit of the goo remained on one of his sleeves and he wiped it away with irritation. He knew that the boy would no doubt inform his parents of the incident and that there would be a response, but the incident in the classroom pointed out the fact that the boy was quite careless in potentially dangerous settings. He turned and walked back into a classroom that the elves were already busy setting back to right.

One of the elves was gazing mournfully at the cauldron that Molly Porter had been using. He shook his head before casting a charm which cleaned the vessel and disposed of the now spoiled contents. It had been an easy chore and it was painfully obvious to the elves who had been tasked with the cleanup which cauldrons had contained proper potions and which had not. The owners of the cauldrons which had contained potions not up to the standards of the professor were terribly crusted with the remnants of the incident and would require quite a bit of attention from their owners. The job of ridding them of the crust would require no small amount of time and the use of rather Muggle like implements to scrape them clean. Those cauldrons would appear in the common rooms of their owner’s Houses along with the tools needed to rid them of the mess.

Molly winced as the old nurse cleaned the scrape and then cast a spell to repair the skin of her forearm. Tom waited patiently while the girl endured the treatment while at the same time feeling rather guilty that she had to. He had pushed her out of the way to get her to safety but knew that he had perhaps been a little overzealous in his attempts. Still, Molly didn’t seem angry with him and that counted for something. While he watched the treatment the boy idly wondered how many students had managed to get to the class that they were absent from.

Only a handful had managed to get out of the room before disaster struck and he didn’t see any on those students in the Hospital Wing. No doubt Professor Lands knew about the accident in the Potions classroom, but he was also no doubt aware of which students had not been affected by it and would be quite ready to deal harshly with anyone who decided to ditch his class. He rose as Molly stood up, her arm tended to, and thanked the nurse who had treated her before they departed to make their way to the class that they were late to.

Professor Jacob Lands glanced at the pair as they entered his classroom several minutes later. A number of the seats in his classroom were vacant and he wondered what excuse this pair had for being tardy.

“Miss Porter, Mister Riddle, perhaps you would be so kind as to explain why you are so late to my class.”

Molly silently stepped forward to hand her note from the Hospital Wing to the angered professor. The staff member glanced at the note that had been handed to him and then nodded silently before turning his attention to Tom.

“Mister Riddle, where have you been?”

“I was with Molly, Professor Lands.”

“Were you injured, Mister Riddle?”

“No, sir, Professor Lands, I was not injured.”

“Was Miss Porter unable to walk to be treated unaccompanied?”

“No, sir, Professor Lands, she was not.”

“Then why are you so tardy to class?”

“I felt guilty for shoving her down so hard to escape from the Potions classroom. If I had not been so rough she probably would not have been injured.”

Jacob Lands thought for a moment as he looked into the eyes of the boy before him. There was no sign of defiance or deceit in the eyes that he was examining and he finally nodded silently.

“Take your seat, Mister Riddle.”

As Tom walked to the seat next to where Molly was sitting the professor walked back up to his desk. The tardy pair glanced up to see instructions to read the next passage and they were pleased not to see a writing assignment. Obviously Professor Lands had no desire to teach the same lesson over again when the classroom was full. The remainder of the time in class was only interrupted once as Carol walked into the room, somehow free of the goo that had previously coated her. The girl hurried to her seat and was soon reading the assignment on the board before her.

When the class ended the students rose and hurried to the Great Hall for the mid-day meal. While they walked down the stairs the girls talked quietly.

“How in the name of Merlin did you get all of that stuff off of you, Carol? When I saw you last, you were completely coated with it.”

Carol smiled at her friend before answering.

“One of the elves helped me! He reminded me of the cleaning spell that they taught us in class. It at least cleaned me off so I did not have to roam the halls covered with slime. Was Professor Lands mad at the ones that did not get to class?”

“He was not happy at all. At least you showed up, the ones that did not are really in for it. I imagine that they will all have parchments to write, especially after you showed up clean and ready for class.”

Tom listened intently as they made their way to their destination. He suspected that Carol really did not care for him and decided that perhaps silence was the best choice. They entered the Great Hall to find a number of students that had been in Potions with them already seated, free of the ooze that had coated them, and Professor Lands already seated at the High Table. The professor was glowering at those who had missed his class but now had preceded him to the meal, obviously no worse for the wear. Those who had made the attempt to get to his class would have a much easier time when they next met. Tom kissed Molly gently on the cheek before leaving her side to walk to the Slytherin table, where Crabbe, Goyle and Malfoy were already seated.

“I see all of you managed to get cleaned off.”

“No thanks to you, Riddle! You and little Miss Porter scurried away like a pair of rats,” Crabbe snarled.

“Where did you get off to, Tom?” Abraxas asked with a snide grin. “You certainly did not go to Defense against the Dark Arts because you went the wrong direction. Did she slip you into her dorm room up in Hufflepuff’s tower?”

“She did nothing of the sort and I refuse to let you goad me into doing something that will cost us points. You have already lost enough for us today,” Tom responded as he nodded towards the hourglass that was far less full of emeralds than it had been the day before.

Abraxas stopped speaking and his pale face flushed with anger as Tom turned away from him to begin filling the plate before him with food. The boy rose from his seat and stalked out of the Great Hall, angry with what Tom had said but even more so when his pair of companions refused to abandon the meal before them.  
Tom ate quietly as he watched the girl that was managing to pull him away from his circle of friends. Already many of them had moved away from his influence and he knew that he couldn’t allow that to happen. Some of the Gryffindors, sensing that his influence was fading, had begun to strike back a stealthy manner and were managing to make headway in unseating him.

He had suspicions that Malfoy was behind some of this and had no doubt that Maxwell Amner was. Both of his former accomplices were becoming troublesome and he was having difficulty enlisting anyone willing to take either of them on. It was true that he himself could strike from a distance with impunity, but he knew that Dumbledore was keeping a very close eye on him. This was an unwelcome development and he had no idea how to fight it. To strike at a staff member was unthinkable although he knew that eventually he might have to. If he did, and managed to win, he would have unimaginable power. But if he did and lost there was no doubt that he would be expelled permanently from Hogwarts and have to live out his life in the Muggle world which was something that he had no desire to do.  
While Tom thought about his troubles he was aware that Dumbledore was watching him from the High Table. The professor had no doubt that the boy was up to something and he wondered what that something was. It obviously involved Abraxas Malfoy and that had the potential to lead to trouble. The parents of the boy, influential in their world, would not approve of their son getting into difficulties and would react strongly if he did. Already Professor Slughorn had undoubtedly raised their ire with the incident in Potions class and anything further would bring a visit from the less than pleasant father of the child.

Albus Dumbledore returned to his meal while trying to determine that answer to the riddle that Tom represented. The boy had considerable innate talent and required quite a bit of training to hone that talent away from the nearly wild magic that he had displayed in the Muggle orphanage where he had been living, but there was no reason to believe that the boy would be anything less than a very powerful wizard once trained.

Abraxas Malfoy, angered beyond what was normal even for him, stood on a balcony looking out over the Forbidden Forest and the terrors that it held. Tom had become a liability to him and now that liability needed to be removed. It was time to have the other boy removed from Hogwarts which was tragic because Tom had revealed great ability. But that ability also represented danger to the plans that Abraxas had and he was not going to allow anyone, not even someone that he had loosely called a friend to jeopardize those plans.

It was obviously time to get his older cousin involved. Sebastian owed him a favor or two and, as a seventh year, knew enough to deal with Tom Riddle. There was also the added bonus that, once Tom was gone, perhaps Molly Porter would come around and let him get close to her. He looked out at the forest once again as he spoke softly to himself.

“Tom, it is really too bad that you have become the problem that you have. Now I have to deal with you and I have just the person that I need for the job. It is time that Professor Dippet finds out what you have been up to and, once he does, puts you out of Hogwarts forever!”


	20. The Truth Sometimes Hurts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abraxas unleashes his plan against Tom, but just who is going to be in trouble?

Professor Armando Dippet sat behind his desk as he listened intently to what the student in front of him was saying and had been for nearly an hour. While he never disbelieved what was being said by a student who had nearly pleaded to see him the content of this conversation made that outcome a possibility.

“Mister Malfoy, if I am hearing you correctly you are saying that a classmate of yours if capable of doing things that are, unfortunately, nearly unbelievable. The abilities that you are claiming that Mister Riddle is capable of are far beyond the normal abilities of a first year. In fact, with very few exceptions I have to believe that there are no students, even among the seventh years, that can do what you say that Mister Riddle can.”

Abraxas Malfoy was nearly beside himself as he realized that the headmaster doubted his story but he pressed on.

“I am telling you the truth, Professor Dippet, Tom Riddle can do things that he should not be able to. He can make people do things that they do not wish to and make things happen without touching them or using a wand, I have seen it.”

“Mister Malfoy, am I correct that you and Mister Riddle have been at odds lately?”

“Yes, sir, we have been, but I am telling you the truth, Tom Riddle is not a normal first year!”

“Mister Malfoy, while I am intrigued by what you claim that your classmate can do, I am also aware that you and the other young man have been vying for the attentions and affections of the same young lady. While Miss Porter has made it very clear that she does not wish to have anything to do with you, you for some reason persist in these attempts to curry her favor. What I truly believe that I am seeing is this, Mister Malfoy; I believe that you are seeing an opportunity to put another student out of school in order to move closer to the young lady. Mister Riddle shall not be put out of this school unless I see violence directed at someone by him or am shown incontrovertible evidence that he is guilty of what you are claiming!”

Abraxas could see the strength of his argument fading rapidly and was about to speak again when the headmaster cut him off.

“But, Professor Dippet, I am telling you…”

“Not another word without proof, Abraxas! This term is nearly over and I wish for it to end peacefully. I expect for you and Mister Riddle to be, at the very least, amicable to one another. You do not have to be friends, but I do expect for you to get along. If you cannot do that then I am afraid that you will not be permitted to return to Hogwarts next term. Am I understood, Mister Malfoy?

“Yes, sir, Professor Dippet, I understand.”

“Very well, then you need to report to the Great Hall. I understand that your Potions final shall begin within the hour and I would imagine that you wish to look over your notes before taking it. Professor Slughorn is not known for forgiveness when it comes to being unprepared for a final exam.”

The boy nodded and then rose to leave the office. His mind was swimming as he traveled down the spiral stairs to the level below and was nearly to the end of that hallway when a noise caught his attention. He whirled to see Peeves closing on him fast, with a terrible purpose evident on the face of the poltergeist. There was nothing to do but run, for he knew that reasoning with Peeves was impossible. Peeves was never reasonable, especially when dealing with first years.

 _“Found you I have and now the ickle Firstie is in for it!_ ”

“Leave me alone, Peeves or….”

This brought the poltergeist to a stop and he hung there in mid-air for a moment while he considered what had been said to him by the boy.

“ _Or what?”_

Abraxas answered the question by whirling and then pelting desperately down the hall with Peeves in hot pursuit as the poltergeist hurled Dungbombs, one after the other, at the retreating child. Abraxas, who had been managing to avoid the projectiles, was nearly to the stairs which led to the Great Hall when a bomb hit him square in the back and then burst.

He stumbled and then fell as the victorious poltergeist flew by overhead and did a crude victory roll as he went past his downed victim. His shouts of triumph echoed down the halls, much to the dismay of professors trying to cram as much information into increasingly resistant minds as they could. The end of the term was coming, their time remaining with the students was short, and the last thing that they wanted to deal with at this point of the term was interruptions.

Abraxas Malfoy was still lying face down in the hallway when a number of his classmates approached the downed student. He could hear voices and footsteps nearing him and then they stopped as the group gathered around him. Then someone knelt next to him and he felt a hand on his shoulder before an unexpected voice entered his consciousness.

“Are you okay, Malfoy, do we need to get someone from the Hospital Wing here?”

He rolled over to see Tom beside him and then shook his head without speaking. The group of students stood around him with concern on their faces.

“What happened to you, Abraxas?”

“Peeves is what happened to me! He hit me with a Dungbomb and I fell.”

“Are you okay?”

“I have been better, thank you!”

“Well, if you can, you need to get up so that we can get on with it. Professor Slughorn will not permit anyone to enter the Great Hall once the final begins.”

“And how could you possibly know that, Riddle?”

Tom felt a slight flush of anger at the rebuff, but pushed it aside before answering.

“Quite possibly because it is posted on the doors to the Great Hall and nearly everyone in the castle knows it. The fact that he posted it on the board yesterday is also a rather good indication of his expectation.”

Malfoy looked up at the other gathered students to see them nodding their agreement with what Tom was saying. He grumbled as he rose from the floor as Tom stood to get out of his way and then the group continued their passage with him joining them. The remainder of the trip was uneventful and the group soon found themselves entering the Great Hall.

The great chamber, which had seen countless such exams, appeared as they had never seen it before. All around the large room the contents of the Potions classroom were scattered. Nowhere in the room were the tables close enough that a student could whisper for assistance from one of his or her classmates. Horace Slughorn watched as the nervous first years entered the room and noticed immediately that Abraxas Malfoy appeared as though he had been assaulted. The professor left the space where he stood and walked briskly to the side of the boy.

“Mister Malfoy, unless I am mistaken, you appear to have met with foul play! Who did this to you? Tell me and I shall see them punished severely.”

Abraxas looked at the professor for a moment and then at Tom, who was talking to Molly as they studied, before uttering words which would have irrevocable consequences.

“Tom Riddle did this, Professor Slughorn. He attacked me in the corridor and then hurried to find his friends so that they could be his alibi.”

Horace Slughorn looked the boy over for a minute and then at the child that he had accused before turning back to Abraxas.

“Go on up to the Hospital Wing and have yourself cleaned up, but hurry back for the final shall begin soon.”

“Will I be permitted to enter late?”

“I shall make an exception this one time, Mister Malfoy, but only because I am excusing you to see the healer.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Mister Malfoy, before you go, however, I need to know if you are very certain about what you are telling me. Did Tom Riddle attack you?”

“Yes, sir, when I woke up he was kneeling beside me with his friends around us. He was playing it up for their benefit by acting concerned about me.”

“You may go, Mister Malfoy.”

Professor Slughorn watched as the boy left the room. Abraxas, knowing that he was being watched, made a great show of trying to appear more injured than he truly was. It would not be until he was outside the doors of the Great Hall that he would smile to himself at what he had accomplished. Riddle, if things went right, would never take the finals and would be out of school before the night ended.

Tom was busy studying with Molly when the voice of the professor thundered through the chamber. He looked up as his name was called to see Horace Slughorn with the tip of his wand pressed to his throat.

“TOM RIDDLE!”

All eyes in the chamber followed Tom as he left Molly’s side and walked slowly towards the glowering adult. He stopped in front of the professor and then looked up into Horace Slughorn’s eyes.

“Mister Riddle, are you responsible for the injuries that Mister Malfoy sustained? Tell me the truth or things shall go much more harshly for you.”

“No, sir, Professor Slughorn, I did nothing to Abraxas. I was with a group of some of the others when we came upon him lying on the floor in one of the corridors. He said that Peeves attacked him with a Dungbomb and that he had fallen as a result of it. All that I did was to ask him if he was well. No, sir, I did not touch him other than that!”

“Are you telling me that your friends will confirm this story?”

“Yes, sir, they and some of the portraits can tell you that I never approached him until that time.”

“And you did not attack him?”

“No, sir, I most definitely did not.”

“Tom, I shall allow you to remain in this class to take the final, but I have to tell you that I shall investigate this matter as well as inform Headmaster Dippet. Should I find out that you are lying to me I shall suggest expulsion proceedings begin against you. Are you very certain that you are telling me the truth?”

“I am very certain, sir.”

“Very well, return to your review of your notes. Professor Dippet shall be made aware of this incident and shall likely wish to speak to you at some point in time today.”

Tom returned to his place next to Molly, angrier than he had been in a very long time. Molly, he had found, had a calming effect on him and this had been a blessing. As much as he disliked the idea, the thoughts of the way that things had been were becoming more and more distasteful. The look that he saw in the eyes of the girl promised a much brighter future than the one that the boys from his House represented, but did he want to give up the power that he held over others? The power was so intoxicating and he was not certain that he could walk away from it so easily and thus become one of the powerless beings in the school.

He viewed all of them as such, even those whom were years ahead of him in their studies and regarded them all as being as mundane as the Muggles that many of them despised. He had heard the terms that they used and wondered where he fell into them. Was he a Pure-Blood who had simply landed somehow in that horrid orphanage? What sort of magical family would allow one of their own children to be raised by those who were so much less than they?

Perhaps he was what they called a Half-Blood. If that was the case, which of his parents were of magical blood, his mother or his father? How could a person of magical descent become involved with a Muggle and produce a child with them?

He certainly hoped that he was not what all called a Mud-Blood. Surely his parents were not Muggles who had somehow managed to produce a son with magical capabilities. The students which fell into that category were also called Dirty-Bloods and he had no desire to be included into that group. Would Molly accept his attentions if he were less than a Pure-Blood? Or would she turn away from him in disgust and move on to someone much more desirable? He did not know what he would do if that happened but there was one thing that he knew for certain, Malfoy had begun a war that he could not win.

Abraxas Malfoy was still sitting in the Hospital Wing when the students in the Great Hall began their finals and had no idea about the gravity of the situation that he had created. True to his word, Slughorn had already informed Professor Dippet about the incident and the headmaster was speaking to the portraits in the area where the attack had occurred. The ugly truth was emerging as he spoke to the images of long dead witches and wizards; Tom Riddle had done nothing to Abraxas Malfoy save kneel next to him to check on his well-being.

A group of students had been with Riddle, as they had since the beginning of the day and he had never been out of their presence except for a visit to a boy’s lavatory. Even then, one of the boys in the group had gone into the room with him to deal with his own needs.

There was also the fact that several of the portraits had seen the Malfoy boy fall to the floor after he was struck by a Dungbomb thrown by Peeves. This was exactly as the Riddle boy had explained to Professor Slughorn. There was also the fact that Malfoy had been in his office only a short time before complaining about Riddle and that the other boy had been in the library with his group under the supervision of the staff in that room. It would have been impossible for Tom Riddle to have attacked his purported victim. Obviously the boy was the intended victim of a plot against him and the only thing that Headmaster Armando Dipper was certain of was one thing.

Abraxas Malfoy was going to be seated in his office again, but for a much different reason than the one of this morning.

The final was well underway when Abraxas Malfoy walked back into the Great Hall and noticed immediately that Tom was still with the class. Anger flooded through him instantly, only to be replaced by another emotion, fear.

If they had checked into his story they would learn that Tom had not attacked him, he silently cursed himself as he remembered the numerous witnesses that would have seen what had truly happened. The portraits would have been sure to tell the headmaster what had transpired before them and they had no reason to lie about it. A cold sweat broke out on his face as Professor Slughorn approached him and he wondered what was about to be said to him.

“You need to get started on your final exam, Mister Malfoy.”

“Why is he still here?” The pale boy asked as he indicated Tom.”

“Headmaster Dippet is investigating the matter and shall deal with it when he is satisfied that he has uncovered everything that he needs to know. Until the headmaster reaches a decision, and he will, Mister Riddle shall take his final exam along with the rest of this class.”

“But he attacked me! Surely he is not going to get away with it!”

“No one will get away with anything and you can rest assured that there shall be consequences for the guilty party in this affair. One of the two of you shall be sitting in Headmaster Dippet’s office before the day is out and I would not want to be in that person’s shoes. I am afraid that the outcome shall not be pleasant for one of you.”

Abraxas felt his heart nearly skip a beat as the words that the portly wizard reached his ears. Numbly he reached into his bag to pull what he needed for the exam out and then set about trying to catch up with his classmates as they prepared a tricky, but not dangerous, potion. Failure to prepare it correctly would be irreversible, but nonobtrusive, visible only to the responsible student and Slughorn.

Tom could barely concentrate on what he was doing as he worked on the assignment before him. They had randomly drawn the potion that they would produce and had no idea what their neighbors were working on. All that they knew was that they could expect no help from the others around them. Asking for help from another had the potential for disaster and Slughorn sat calmly in a chair while he waited for one of two things, the end of the class or disaster when a potion went wrong.  
Abruptly, the inevitable happened and a groan issued from the mouth of Goyle as his potion went terribly wrong and changed into a useless sludge. It was followed by that of Crabbe as he took the wrong advice of a classmate, who was preparing a different mixture, and could only watch as the potion in his cauldron turned into bright pink bubbles.

Molly watched as the potion in her cauldron turned a brilliant, nearly hard to look at, electric blue and then a message appeared in the liquid.

“CONGRATULATIONS!”

The girl breathed a sigh of relief and then set about picking up her belongings before sitting down on a chair that waited for her. Professor Slughorn smiled at the girl and nodded as she looked silently at him for approval of her actions. One student had finished successfully with several more to go.

They could only wait while other students finished and Horace Slughorn was pleased to see several of the children breathe a sigh of relief and then follow the example that Miss Porter had set. Tom grinned abruptly as his own potion changed into the bright blue before displaying the same happy message that Molly had seen and was soon sitting down on his own chair, which left only Malfoy working on his potion.

Abraxas Malfoy may have been many things, careless, cruel and brash among them, but he was no slouch at potion making and he soon smiled at the sight of the happy message in his cauldron. His smile was short-lived as he glanced up to see Tom glaring at him. Obviously the other boy had been questioned about what had happened in the corridors and now the headmaster was looking into the issue. This meant that Dippet would be speaking to witnesses, the portraits among them, and would learn the truth of the matter.

He could only hope that he had not just written a ticket for an early trip home on the Hogwarts Express for himself.

When he was content that all of his students had finished with their task, and quite aware of which ones had failed, Horace Slughorn dismissed his students from class. The first years hurried to escape the Great Hall so the cauldrons could empty and then prepare for the second years.

Abraxas hurried to find Crabbe and Goyle among the crowd and had just spotted them when the form of Headmaster Armando Dippet appeared before him with a loud POP. The words that the small, aging wizard spoke next to the boy sent a chill through the heart of the boy that he was not certain would ever thaw.

“Mister Malfoy, you need to come with me and come with me now! I am not entirely certain that you shall finish your finals for this term or set foot back into this castle for the next. Only your explanation of the events may give you a chance to avoid expulsion from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.”

The classmates of the boy could only watch in amazement as the headmaster gripped the robes of the child and the pair vanished with a POP. One student, however, watched the proceedings with a sense and look of satisfaction before turning away to prepare for the next final exam. Tom Riddle smiled to himself as he walked away and Molly Porter, who was holding the hand of the boy as they walked away, mistook the look that he had on his face as his being happy with her closeness.

She could not have been more wrong.


	21. Into the Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abraxas' plan comes to light, Tom strikes back and the ambitions of another become known.

Abraxas sat in Headmaster Dippet’s office for the second time that day while his mind replayed what had happened to him and what he had said in an attempt to rid the school of Tom Riddle. He had never considered the fact that the portraits would provide all the proof that Dippet needed to clear the other boy and put him in a very bad situation.

The headmaster sat behind his desk while he looked at a parchment that had been filling with script as he read. Somehow, but Abraxas did not know how, the testimony of the portraits was appearing on the parchment without the witnesses being present. While it was true that many of the portraits had frames within the office of the headmaster, none of them were currently present in them. This fact and the many items in the office fascinated the boy, but he had other things to be concerned about at this time.

“Mister Malfoy, I have to wonder why you are sitting here before me now. Only this morning, just a few hours ago, you were sitting in that very chair while you presented evidence against a fellow Slytherin. Now you are seated here in answer to charges that you fabricated a tale that, had it been believed, would have gotten that student at the very least suspended from school.”

“You claimed that he attacked you, which has been testified to as being false by several of the portraits as well as the students and staff that Mister Riddle had been with all morning. I have even spoken to Peeves and he finally admitted, after some nudging by the Bloody Baron, that he had hit you with a Dungbomb and this had caused your injuries. Yet, you testified to Professor Slughorn that Mister Riddle was at fault and you did so right before a class in which you were preparing to take a final exam.”

“I am not at all certain why you have become so angry with Mister Riddle or why he is angry with you but I have a feeling that it has something to do with Miss Porter. The young lady has indicated that you have been pursuing her attentions for some time now and that she has no desire to reciprocate your affections. Therefore, you have been instructed to stay away from her but you refuse to follow those instructions.”

“This whole situation brings me to the conclusion that you boys have some things to work out but that solution is not possible at this time. I am not going to expel you, Abraxas Malfoy, but I am going to order you to spend the rest of the term in the Isolation Tower. You shall still attend classes with your peers but you shall not attend any social gatherings. Your meals will be consumed in the common room of that tower and you shall have access to the library in that tower. I sincerely hope that you and Mister Riddle can solve your differences but, until that time, I can only offer this solution.”

“Thank you, Headmaster Dippet, for not expelling me.”

“I shall arrange for your professors to offer you tutoring should you need it, but at this point in the term I highly doubt that tutoring shall be necessary. Your marks are good enough to allay any fears that I have for your academic future. But I must warn you that any further conflict between you and Mister Riddle shall be met with harsh discipline in the dungeons.”

The boy shuddered at the thought of the dungeons and remembered the stories that some of the older students had passed on to him and his peers. Hanging by his thumbs in the dungeon was not what he thought of as something that he thought would be pleasurable or even desirable.

He nodded and then rose to walk out of the office and then down the seemingly endless corridors and stairs until he arrived at the entrance of the Isolation Tower. The door creaked loudly as it swung open to admit him and he took a deep breath before stepping into the short corridor that was revealed.

While the vast majority of the castle was well kept by the endless attentions of the elves, the Isolation Tower was often times neglected until it was needed. Abraxas, unaccustomed to what he was seeing, turned back around to leave the area only to find the door that he had stepped through locked magically. He walked slowly down the corridor until he reached a large room that he suspected was the common room of the tower. The torches along the walls of the corridor lit as he approached them and he was soon standing outside a door that bore his name. It swung open to admit him and he was pleasantly surprised to see that it was freshly cleaned and had been prepared for him.

His robes, books and other belongings had been sent to the room and he found them neatly arranged in the cupboards that stood within the room. A noise in the common room attracted his attention and he glanced out to see the room seemingly straightening itself although he knew that this was false, the elves were at work. When he left the room later that afternoon he would find a much cleaner environment and would settle down into the pattern of life that he would live for the remainder of the term.

Tom, although grateful that he had been proven innocent of the crime that he had been accused of, was angry at the person that he had called a friend. Abraxas had attempted to get him expelled and thus bring his power to an end, but now he had failed badly and would have to pay the price.

He was certain that Dumbledore would be watching him and that he had to be more careful than he had been in the past. This meant a return to the old ways, ways that he had not used for a while, ways that he was loath to use because of the risk that they entailed. He thought for a moment, while he sat in the dorm room that he occupied, about Abraxas Malfoy and the pain that he deserved.

_‘You were my friend, Abraxas, and hopefully we can be friends again in the future because there is so much more to do here at Hogwarts. But for now, Abraxas Malfoy, you need to hurt and hurt badly!’_

Abraxas was not certain what was happening when a terrible pain suddenly shot through his midsection and he doubled over with agony. It was so similar to what had happened once before, only this time there was no one to come to his aid. Wave after wave of pain rolled over him and he cried out even though he knew that there was not going to be help coming. He could only hope that he would survive this incident.

In his mind, Tom could see the boy doubled over with pain and the experience made him lose concentration. Never before had he been able to see a victim over this distance and it surprised, as well as, frightened him. The happening brought the punishment of Abraxas to an end while Tom thought about what had occurred. Something had changed within him and he wondered just how much more it would change.

Abraxas finally managed to straighten as the pain within his middle subsided. He sat up on the floor where he had fallen while he took great, heaving breaths and then was startled as he looked up to see Dumbledore standing over him.

“Are you well, Mister Malfoy?”

“I most certainly am not, Professor Dumbledore. I was in terrible, life-threatening pain and there was no one here to help me! There was not even a way to call for help! I could have died here, in this room, and no one would have noticed until I did not appear for classes.”

“While I highly doubt that would have occurred, Mister Malfoy, you were hardly alone. The elves who inhabit this castle summoned me when you were in need of assistance and the staff from the Hospital Wing is also on their way here to ensure your well-being. I am curious though about what happened to you. Can you tell me, because I am most interested in this, about this incident?”

The boy looked at the professor that had entered the room and realized, as he looked into the eyes of the older wizard, that the man before him was indeed interested in what he had to say. They were interrupted at that point by the entry of the staff from the hospital that, after giving the boy a quick go over, left the room after first acquiring an agreement from the professor that he would bring the boy to them when he was finished.

“Tell me about what happened, Abraxas Malfoy.”

Tom was still in shock himself as he considered what had happened. The experience fascinated him while also frightening him. The ability to strike with impunity had always been useful, but now he had seen his victim while the boy was suffering. This had never happened before, except when Herbert had fallen several times, with a little bit of help from Tom. Then he had enjoyed the experience of watching the clumsy lout hit the ground, but this was different. This time he actually had felt a pang of sympathy for Abraxas and he wondered if that emotion had caused him to lose focus on what he was doing. If it was that, he needed to quell it, for the power to strike without being seen was a formidable one and he had no desire to abandon it. There were others within the castle that he felt it might be useful for.

He finally rose from the bed that he had been sitting on and left the room to hurry to meet Molly for the coming meal. The girl was proving to be a useful tool in his conquest of the castle and he intended to use her as much as he could to that end. She was, he felt, totally in the dark about his activities and he wanted to keep it that way. More than anything else, she was a useful alibi when something happened and this fit into his plans beautifully. The fact that she loved him and was totally devoted to him did not hurt.

The girl was waiting outside the Great Hall for him and eagerly reached for his hand as he approached her. The warmth of the flesh of her hand was nearly intoxicating for the boy and the young pair hurried into the chamber where they had so recently taken a final. They were not surprised to find that it was now as it normally was, dominated by the tables and benches that were always present for meals. They embraced as they exchanged a kiss and then reluctantly parted to walk to their own tables.

Dumbledore entered the room a short time after the couple and glanced quickly at Tom, who was involved in conversation with several of the other Slytherin students. The story that Abraxas had told him paralleled with what he had heard from the mouth of Tom Riddle himself.

_I can make people hurt when and if I want them to. All that I have to do is think about it!_

Albus Dumbledore had no way to prove that Tom had been responsible for the pain that Abraxas had experienced, but he suspected it highly and now resolved to get to the bottom of the situation. If Tom was responsible for it, action might need to be taken to ensure that it was not repeated. A repeat of the incident had the potential for possible intrusion into Hogwarts by the Ministry of Magic for the purpose of student discipline, and that was never a good thing.

All that the young professor could do was hope that the boy was not responsible, for if he was and it was proven, Tom Riddle would leave the school forever and also likely face discipline by the Ministry. Of all of the families that sent their children to Hogwarts, the family of Abraxas Malfoy was among the most volatile. They would not hesitate to push for the expulsion of the boy if they even slightly perceived that he was responsible for the attack on their child. They also had considerable influence in the Ministry and that made them difficult to work with, much less discipline.

He walked slowly to the front of the room to take his place at the High Table. The view from the table was an impressive one and he remembered wondering what it might be like to sit at this table. Not too many years ago, he had been a student sitting at one of those tables after being sorted into Gryffindor at the beginning of his own first term here in the castle.

Now, he rather envied the students who were preparing to dine at those tables. They had none of the weight on their shoulders that he did, nor did they have some of the regrets that he carried. His rise to this point had cost him greatly and yet he still had not attained all that he desired. He glanced, not for the first time, at the chair where Headmaster Dippet would soon be seated as his desires once again threatened to consume him.

_‘That chair should be mine and I intend to sit in it one day! Dippet cannot remain there forever and none of these other imbeciles have what it takes to become headmaster. He has already told me that he favors me to succeed him and make that office my own, but when? When do I get the pleasure of being called Headmaster Dumbledore? Aberforth never will amount to what I shall, he has no ambition! I can scarcely call him my father’s son, let alone my brother. He is a fool to ignore his strengths and I shall not follow his lead.’_

A jostle at his elbow brought him out of his thoughts and he glanced at Horace Slughorn with carefully disguised irritation. The portly wizard apologized quickly before being seated at the table next to a man who regarded him as the one true threat to his ascendance to power.

Tom looked up at the pair of wizards and saw clearly what Slughorn did not. Dumbledore disliked the other professor and the boy wondered why, was it because Slughorn was the head of Slytherin House while Dumbledore led Gryffindor? He had assumed that Dumbledore and Slughorn were friends, but now he wondered if this development might not be a useful tool. A direct strike against a professor was out of the question, not to mention dangerous, so something else needed to be done.

Molly watched as Tom eyed Professors Dumbledore and Slughorn and wondered what the boy was up to. She had been getting a strange feeling lately and hoped that she was wrong about it all. Was Tom up to something and did it involve the professors that he was watching so intently? Certainly Tom had not been involved with the attack on Abraxas, she had been with him, but just what was he involved in?

The boy that she had fallen for had a distant side to his personality and she hoped it was simply that he had not yet overcome his past in the home of the Muggle doctor. She shuddered at the thought of being magical, but having to grow up in a non-magical home. There could not be anything worse than that, with the exception of having to encounter one of the Dementors from Azkaban Prison. Those dark beings were the stuff of nightmares that parents would sometimes invoke to convince a reluctant or unruly child into obedience. Molly had never heard that speech but she knew some who had and did not wish to share in that experience.  
Her mind drifted back to Tom and she was relieved to see that he was once again busy eating his meal. The term was almost over, she could not believe it was true, but her first term at Hogwarts was nearly over and soon she knew that she would be home once again. Within days Headmaster Dippet would announce the name of the House that had won the coveted House Cup and she certainly hoped that it would be Hufflepuff. Her House had worked incredibly hard to gain as many points as they could muster while at the same time working just as hard to avoid losing points for Hufflepuff.

The boy that she could not keep her eyes from did not have such a rosy future as she knew that there was no way that Slytherin could possibly win the cup. There had been too many transgressions and the fact that Abraxas had been taken to the Headmaster’s Office by Professor Dippet himself meant trouble for the House with the snake as its symbol. A swift glance at the hourglasses that held the accumulated gems that represented points said it all; Slytherin had lost a lot of points today. He would not go home to the loving arms of his parents but instead to a home where he would not even dare to practice the most rudimentary of spells. At least she, under the guidance of her parents, was allowed to use magic at home during breaks if only to keep fresh in her mind what she had learned over the course of the school term.

Dessert appeared before them and she was soon indulging in some mint ice cream, which she adored, and a chocolate bar, which her parents would never have approved of. Her eyes twinkled while she enjoyed a little bit of disobedience as well as talked to her friends. A glance at Tom was rewarded as their eyes met and they shared a smile before Molly was forced to turn back around to answer something that one of her friends had said.  
Tom watched the girl and smiled as he thought to himself.

_‘One week, all that I have to do is wait one week, and then the term will be over and I will not have to endure these classes. Mrs. Cole and the others at the orphanage are in for a rude surprise because I have learned a lot and I do not have to use my wand to do what I want to do! It also gives me all summer to figure out how to get Abraxas on my side again. Things were a lot easier when he liked me and we were not arguing. I still have a lot to do here at Hogwarts and I intend to make certain that they remember me forever. Yes, some day they shall speak my name with fear for I shall become the most powerful wizard ever and then those who have angered me shall tremble before me!’_

Abraxas was also eating his meal while he sat alone in the common room of the Isolation Tower and thought to himself.

_‘You won this time, Tom, but I shall get even. At least I did not get expelled! Mum and Dad would have been incredibly angry with me and maybe would have even taken some of my servants as punishment! That would have been terrible, them making me do things for myself instead of having one of the elves do it for me. I have all summer to plan my revenge against him and possibly even get Molly Porter to come over to me. That would anger the dolt more than anything! I can just see his face if he saw her walking hand in hand with me in Diagon Alley or even here at Hogwarts. You have not beaten me, Tom Riddle, you still have a lot to learn and I intend to teach it to you!’_

That meal, like so many before it, would be consumed by students whose only thoughts at that point in the term were the trip home and a summer free of professors. But some students had far less benign thoughts and many would spend the coming break planning for what would come in the fall.

Professors would do their best in the final remaining days to test their student’s knowledge over the lessons that had been taught, but they too were prepared for a break. Once that final day came, once the castle was empty of students, then the work would truly begin as many of the staff would fairly sequester themselves in their offices while they prepared for the term to come. It would only be at the very end of the summer that some would manage to slip away to whatever retreat that they found desirable.

In the end, however, the castle would face the most change as the children left for the break, some never to return as they had finished their studies. Many would not see the castle again for many years, when their children were attending Hogwarts, while all would leave their own subtle mark on the school.

But there was one whose mark would be indelible and he was preparing to leave at the end of his first term. One could only imagine what lay in the future for Tom Marvolo Riddle and all would have been terrified if they had only known.


	22. What Comes Next?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The students say good-bye to Hogwarts as they leave for summer break, but what does the summer hold for Tom?

Hogwarts was abuzz with excitement as students began to file into the Great Hall for their final dinner of the term. As was usual Tom and Molly walked into the chamber hand in hand, only separating when they reached the point where they would exchange a quick kiss and then walk to their respective tables.

Abraxas sat at the Slytherin table a distance away from Tom and could only throw glares at the other boy. Secretly, he wished that they could be friends again as life had been difficult for him since the fracture. He wished more than anything that he had not attempted to get Tom expelled and knew that he would do anything that he could do repair the damage that he had done to their friendship.

Tom was very aware that Abraxas was watching him and it pleased him. Obviously the other boy wanted to make amends and Tom was more than willing to do that. While the other boy lacked the capabilities that Tom himself possessed, he was still very useful when it came to dealing with issues that needed to be dealt with.

The seventh years, who had finished their studies, were gone as they had been permitted to leave once they had completed the ceremony which declared them, in Muggle terms, graduates. The younger students had been permitted to watch the ceremony and many had dreamt about the time when it would be their turn to accept their parchment and then leave the castle behind, many to return when their children were at Hogwarts as students.

As they watched, Professor Dippet rose and then stepped up to the podium which waited for him. The students immediately went silent and waited for the announcement that they hoped would declare their House the winner of the House Cup. Even the ghosts and Peeves were silent as they waited for the announcement that Dippet would soon make.

“Now, students, we have reached the end of yet another term here at Hogwarts and what a term it has been! I am certain that all of you have learned as much this term as I have and I hope that you shall not let that knowledge slip away during the summer. You are going to need something to work with at the start of next term!”

“The race for the House Cup was an intense one and, although all Houses deserve to win, there can be only one House as the victor. The points were very close and are as such, fourth place with two hundred and twelve points shall go to Slytherin House. Gryffindor, with three hundred and one points shall receive third place.”

Polite clapping sounded from the students, although a bit abated from the Houses which already knew that they had not been victorious. The students who’s Houses had not yet been named were fairly bursting with excitement as Headmaster Dippet prepared to continue.

“In second place, with three hundred and seventy-eight points is Ravenclaw,” Dippet said before being interrupted by wild cheering from Hufflepuff. “And yes, Hufflepuff, you have been awarded the House Cup with three hundred and ninety points. Hufflepuff wins the House Cup!”

Tom, through his disappointment, heard a strange noise and he looked up to see the banners of Ravenclaw that hung overhead turn magically into those of Hufflepuff. He could only watch as the students at those tables congratulated each other on their victory and he wished that he could have joined them. Instead, he contented himself with the meal that was before him and thoughts of what he could do once he got back to London and the orphanage.

_‘I will be back soon, Mrs. Cole, I hope that you and the others are ready because I intend to exact revenge for the way that all of you have treated me. I do not need to steal toys anymore; I can make my own entertainment.’_

The meal ended finally and he hurried to rise to meet Molly, who was waiting for him patiently. The young couple walked together, hand in hand, as far as they could before exchanging another kiss and then parting. It was then that Tom began the journey to Slytherin, but not quite alone.

“Hey, Tom, wait a moment will you!”

He turned to see Abraxas, who had decided to make the first move, waiting for him. The boys approached each other slowly before stopping to speak.

“I am really sorry for what I did, Tom. I never should have tried to get you into trouble with Dippet. Can we be friends again?”

Tom looked into the eyes of the pale boy for a moment before reaching forward to offer his hand and speaking.

“Certainly, Abraxas, I would more than welcome your friendship.”

The boys turned and walked towards their House together, one very aware that Professor Albus Dumbledore was standing in the shadows watching them.

_‘Very good, Abraxas, very good, now all that I need for you to do is learn all that you can about what Tom is planning. Be certain to invite him to your home as I am more than a little interested in learning what he will tell you when he thinks that he is safe to speak. Enjoy the summer, Mister Malfoy, and when you return I wish for you to tell me what you know about Tom Marvolo Riddle and his plans.’_

The night would pass swiftly for some as they managed to go to sleep quickly while others would sit up all night to talk. Tom was in neither of these groups; he would sit and think about the coming break and the separation from Molly. He knew that he could never allow her to know where he actually lived, but he was highly interested in where she did. Abraxas had already indicated that he was more than welcome to visit Malfoy Manor any time that he wished and Tom was very interested in that.

He did not truly trust the other boy yet, even though Crabbe and Goyle had tried to ease his concerns. It was going to take time to get past what had occurred and for Abraxas Malfoy to prove that he truly was a friend again.

Sleep would finally take him and he would awaken the next morning to find his dorm mates rising to get into their traveling clothes. It was one of the few times that they were allowed to where anything other than their robes and no one wanted to be seen in the uniform of the school today. All knew that within hours they would be on the train back to London and then on to their homes.

Tom knew that a car would be waiting for him to take him back to the orphanage. All arguments to be allowed to stay at the castle had fallen on deaf ears, no matter how strenuous they were. He rose and swiftly changed into his Muggle clothing, which was in much better shape than it had been when he had arrived at the castle, before making the trip to the Great Hall and Molly. He would look back to see his trunk seemingly packing itself and knew that his things, less his wand and other school supplies which would have been hard to explain to any who discovered them, would be on the train for the trip home.

Molly was waiting for him when he arrived at their customary meeting place and they kissed before walking on to the Great Hall where they refused to separate. The tables, normally segregated by House membership, were a mixture of students from all Houses and the pair wasted no time in finding a place to sit together. Even the professors at the High Table were dressed in less formal clothing and to the first years it presented a very strange experience. Never had they seen anything like this and normally familiar people looked very different indeed.

Molly looked at the boy who had joined her and noticed that, for the first time, the smile that he was giving her did not seem to be forced for her benefit. The smile seemed to be an honest one and she felt a flutter of hope within her that everything was going to be just fine. The meal that they would eat together was interrupted by smiles and laughter frequently and all that observed them could tell that the couple enjoyed each other’s company.

When the meal concluded, the students rose to begin the walk to Hogsmeade and the station where the Hogwarts Express waited patiently for them to arrive. The term was officially over and the students were looking forward to the break that was ahead of them, even if they did have to walk to the village that lay below the castle.

Hogsmeade Station was soon filled to capacity by students who began to board the waiting train in order to get a preferred seat. Tom was nearly ready to board when a familiar voice spoke to him from behind and he turned to see Dumbledore standing there with the same smile that he had worn on the day that they had first met.

“Tom, I just wanted to say that I enjoyed your presence in my classroom and look forward to seeing you next term. You have come a long way in just a few months and I cannot wait to see what progress you will make in the coming months and years.”

“Thank you, Professor Dumbledore, I promise that I shall return and continue my studies.”

“I never believed that you would not.”

The pair of wizards shook hands and then the boy hurried to get onto the train that had brought him to this place. Albus Dumbledore watched as the train pulled away from the platform as he considered the young wizard that he had just said good-bye to.

_‘I hope all that I fear for you does not come to fruition, Tom Riddle, for I would hate to force you to live as a Muggle or worse, in Azkaban. Do well, Tom Riddle, or I fear that your journey shall be a long and troubled one.’_

The train would do its best to rock them all to sleep and would, in most cases, succeed. Tom would sit in the very space that he had occupied on the trip to the castle so many months before while his companions slumbered. Molly was not among them, she was sitting in the car reserved for Hufflepuff students and they would not be together until they reached King’s Cross Station.

He was, despite his objections at Hogwarts, actually looking forward to the return to the orphanage. The boy had grand plans that he knew could be explained away as lack of control by an inexperienced wizard should they be noticed by the Ministry of Magic. The other orphans had only thought that he was a problem before, they were in for a much more difficult time now that he was coming back. He could not wait to see their expressions when he began to unveil what he had planned for them and Mrs. Cole.

_‘I am going to have a wonderful summer break, but they shall not!’_

The train finally arrived at the station and he was soon among the crowd as he searched for Molly. The girl saw him first and rushed to him to take him into a hug while her parents watched.

“I am going to miss you so much, Tom. I know that you live with a Muggle but I promise that somehow I will get an owl to you frequently. Perhaps you can come and visit some time, my parents have approved of it and I would love to see you during the summer.”

“I will be looking forward to it as well.”

“Good-bye, Tom,” the girl said before leaning forward to kiss him gently.

“Good-bye, Molly,” he answered before returning the affection.

He could only watch as the family vanished into the crowd once he and the girl had parted. Then he walked to the pillar to wait for his own turn to go through onto the Muggle platform beyond. When his turn came he hurried through the barrier and found himself standing between Platforms Nine and Ten. In the distance he saw the form of Mrs. Cole and he gripped the handle of his case tightly as he walked towards the matron. She noticed him and turned towards him with a forced smile.

“Welcome home, Tom, I hope that you had a good term.”

“It was very good, Mrs. Cole, I learned a great deal of things while I was away at school.”

“Well, I certainly hope that you learned not to simply walk out without saying anything when you decide to leave. You had all of us very worried when you simply vanished; see to it that you do not do it again.”

“Yes, ma’am, Mrs. Cole, I will not do it again,” Tom responded while his mind worked on other things, things that were far less pleasant.

The woman and boy were soon outside the station and climbing into the car that had been provided for this use. Tom looked back at the building as he thought about the coming term when he would go back to this place for the return to Hogwarts. Until then, he had plans and they were not pleasant for the residents of Wool’s Orphanage.

As the car pulled away and Tom turned to face forward none saw the figure standing in the shadows while people walked by unaware of it. Albus Dumbledore watched the retreating vehicle and frowned. The summer would not be a good one for the Muggles in that building of that he was certain.

“Be mindful, young Tom, for far more than just I am watching.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Tom is on break for the summer and what does it hold for the residents of the orphanage? I guess that you will just have to wait for the new story to find out. My deep thanks goes to J.K. Rowling for the inspiration to write this as well as the wonderful characters that she has created. I also want to thank AO3 for this forum in which to display my work and finally, last but certainly not least, to you my readers for you the reason that I do this.


End file.
